Chaldean Refugees Find Love & New Life in Michigan

In honor of Immigrant Heritage Month and World Refugee Day, we wanted to feature the story of Gabarail Youhana and Noora Dawood.

Gabarail Youhana, 58, left his native land, Iraq, in seek of refuge from religious persecution in 2008. In addition to the fear and apprehension of coming to a new country alone, Youhana had one additional barrier when creating a new life in the U.S. – his inability to see.

After joining family in Michigan, Youhana was referred to the Chaldean Community Foundation’s (CCF) Breaking Barriers program, which provides services and advocacy to individuals with special needs, including its Braille ESL Acculturation Mobility (BEAM) project that was launched in April 2014 to service the growing need of visually impaired refugees.

Noora Dawood, 38, left Iraq to find refuge in 2007 and arrived in Michigan in 2012. Like Youhana, Dawood utilized the CCF’s services. Through assistance with her CCF provided caretaker and her participation in BEAM, Dawood gained the ability to read Braille, critical mobility skills and most importantly, a sense of independence.

Youhana, who gained citizenship through the CCF, also gained extensive knowledge and skills participating in the BEAM project, including learning Braille, in addition to learning how to use a computer and iPhone. Youhana was able to enhance his social skills with the 11 other students involved in BEAM, including Noora Dawood, after the two met in class.

In September of 2015, Youhana and Dawood married and moved into an apartment together. In August of 2017, they welcomed to the world their daughter Pearla. After the birth of their daughter, they decided to move near family in Shelby Township to help assist them in raising Pearla.

Both Gabarail and Noora said that they will always be thankful for the Chaldean Community Foundation and the BEAM Project. They said that their dreams came true when they met each other and with the both of them being blind, they thought starting a family was impossible.