When Stars Are Scattered

An Afterword details what happened to Omar and Hassan after leaving Dadaab. They settled in Tucson, Arizona, where Omar worked at a resort and attended the University of Arizona. Hassan received medical care and began classes at an adult care center. They became American citizens in 2014. Omar graduated with a degree in international development, hoping to help other African refugees. Sarura’s family was resettled to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She and Omar began a relationship and soon married. They and Hassan settled in Lancaster. Omar took a job as a resettlement case manager with Church World Service. Through his job, he met new arrivals from refugee camps, and he always asked if anyone knew of his mother. In 2014, Omar’s and Hassan’s mother, Hawa Ali, came to Ifo looking for her sons, whom she had not seen in 23 years. Hassan and Omar were able to reunite with her in Kenya in 2017. The Afterword explains that travel laws in 2019 prevented his mother from coming to the US but that Omar was trying to arrange for her emigration at the time of the book’s publication. Omar also founded Refugee Strong, a volunteer organization that sends supplies to refugees and visits Dadaab yearly.

In his Author’s Note, Omar Mohamed credits Susana Martinez with much of his success. Susana looked after Hassan and Omar in Dadaab and helped get the boys resettled. Mr. Mohamed mentions that he and Sarura still live in Lancaster and that he and Hassan visit their mother and Fatuma in Dadaab when they can. He writes of the special connection with co-author Victoria Jamieson and how they communicated by meeting, text, calls, and emails to produce When Stars Are Scattered. Mr. Mohamed also references his organization Refugee Strong as a way to support the needs of refugees in Dadaab and worldwide. He thanks other organizations like UNHCR and Care International for helping him in his life and resettlement process. He leaves the reader with the instruction to maintain hope above all difficulties and to know that, despite the impossibility of circumstances, “you can overcome anything in your path” (262).

In her Author’s note, Victoria Jamieson describes how she and Mr. Mohamed worked together to produce When Stars Are Scattered. She wrote sections based on his memories and storytelling, then added images. An artist named Iman Geddy added color. The author hopes this collaborative effort and Omar’s story will inspire young readers to help the world’s refugees through Refugee Strong or another volunteer effort. She also encourages readers to simply reach out to someone they have never gotten to know: “You hear some amazing stories when you talk to someone new” (264).