The refugees tell me they live in two worlds, an inside world and an outside world.  I have seen refugee children when they first arrive in our world, seeing them at RISSE is different. There, they are together with one another uninhibited, playful, open and trusting.

In the outside world, they still have to be guarded, careful, watchful. They are friendly to me and open, more so than they might be yet in the outside world. Their friendship and joy and love for one another are infectious. This bustling empire is president over by a gentle and quiet man named Francis Sengabo, who came to America a decade ago after ten years in Rwandan refugee camp.

He understands the beauty and power of being open. These kids are all open to creativity and drawing, they are not yet submerged in the social media culture of the American young. Next week, we are bringing 90 art kits to RISSE. (We raised the $1,200 we needed for those kits today.)