VIDEO: Omaha firefighter Emmanuel Malesh is using his personal journey from South Sudan to juvenile detention to inspire youth at the Douglas County Youth Center.
Malesh said he wants to share his story to show young people that their beginnings do not define their future. “Share my story, my journey, and letting them know that, you know, where they started does not ultimately, you know, determine who they will be in the future,” Malesh said.
Malesh and his family fled South Sudan in 2004, facing significant challenges upon arriving in America. “We didn’t speak the language. We struggled to adjust to the culture and try to adapt. So we had a lot of obstacles,” he said. Even after adapting, Malesh said he felt lost and struggled to find a sense of belonging. “I was kind of lost. I was trying to find the sense of belonging,” he said.
This led him down a difficult path. “I was hanging out with the wrong group of friends and, you know, getting in trouble that, you know, I was being suspended from school in diversion programs and eventually ended up, you know, juvenile detention centers,” Malesh said.
KETV ABC 7 Omaha
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