When Stars Are Scattered: Part 1

by Victoria Jamieson, Omar Mohamed
In this memoir, told in graphic form, Omar Mohamed recounts his life as a Somalian refugee in Kenya.

Here are links to our lists for the memoir: Part 1, Parts 2–3
24 words 1678 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. refugee
    an exile who flees for safety
    My brother and I live here: in a refugee camp in Kenya, in Africa.
  2. mosque
    a Muslim place of worship that usually has a minaret
    We have markets, schools, mosques, a hospital...everything.
  3. spigot
    a regulator for controlling the flow of a liquid
    There's only one water spigot and it's only open a few hours a day — so there's always a really long line.
  4. impressed
    deeply or markedly affected or influenced
    He can't say so, but I can tell Hassan is impressed by my amazing math skills.
  5. seizure
    a sudden attack characterized by spasms or convulsions
    He used to have a lot seizures when he was younger.
  6. ration
    a fixed portion that is allotted
    I am a community leader, so if you have any problems at all — with your food rations, your neighbors, or school — you can come to me, and we'll try to sort it out.
  7. independence
    freedom from control or influence of another or others
    Doesn't Hassan need to learn some independence too?
  8. chaotic
    lacking a visible order or organization
    School here is...chaotic.
  9. rural
    living in or characteristic of farming or country life
    I lived in a very rural village.
  10. distraction
    drawing someone's attention away from something
    I may be hungry all the time, but at least my brain is getting full. And school is a distraction from the hunger.
  11. distribution
    the act of spreading or apportioning
    When you're a refugee, you get food every fifteen days from the distribution center.
  12. maize
    corn
    The food we receive today is:
    Maize.
    Cooking oil.
    Salt.
  13. semester
    one of two divisions of an academic year
    Too soon, however, the semester is over and we have a one-month break.
  14. resettle
    take up or cause to take up residence in a new place
    There was no chance for me and Hassan to be resettled.
  15. disability
    a condition that prevents one from performing some task
    Some people just aren't kind to someone with disabilities around here.
  16. underestimate
    make too low an approximation of
    Maybe Jeri was right — maybe I was underestimating my brother.
  17. scholarship
    financial aid provided to a student on the basis of merit
    ...the top students in Kenya can earn scholarships to study at a university in Canada.
  18. inspiration
    the act of arousing to a particular emotion or action
    He gave each of us this picture to keep, as inspiration.
  19. republic
    a political system in which power lies in a body of citizens
    Actually, the government of Kenya was formed in 1963, but it didn't become a republic until 1964.
  20. mope
    be apathetic, gloomy, or dazed
    If you're just moping about, you can help me mix the porridge.
  21. diversion
    an activity that amuses or stimulates
    You can tell you're bored if mixing porridge sounds like a welcome diversion.
  22. desperate
    hopelessly determined
    It's strange that just a few months ago, I wasn't even sure that I wanted to go to school...and now I was desperate to stay.
  23. obsessed
    having excessive or compulsive concern with something
    I got kind of obsessed.
  24. bicameral
    composed of two legislative bodies
    In 1962, the Kenyan constitution established a bicameral legislature...
Created on Fri Sep 25 15:49:06 EDT 2020 (updated Fri Sep 25 16:07:42 EDT 2020)

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