Greetings,

I hope you're cherishing the day where ever you are at this moment reading this. My story is a turbulent ongoing emotional roller coaster of ups and downs. I've been through quite the ordeal from a child losing his mother and sister to heart disease at a very young age, and dealing with the trauma of very troubling family conflicts in many times a very toxic household growing up. My sister and mother both left Jamaica at different times when I was four to five as a kid for Brooklyn, to do this pro bono surgery that wasn't offered in Jamaica, and none of them came back home alive. For most of my life up until 26 years old, I've lived in Jamaica until I fled my country from the persecution of violence and blatant homophobia for my being.

I was actively involved in the arts growing up but constantly teased or ridiculed about it. When I was cast in our local production of 'Beauty & The Beast' & 'Cats The Musical' by our local theatre production company JMTC (Jamaica Musical Theatre Company), I was met with many microaggressions and hostility from peers at school (an all-boys catholic school). Bullied at home, bullied at school, and being shot while working with a family's business at the time in front of an inner-city community in Jamaica have left me with mountains of trauma to deal with. To end up leaving Jamaica and having to find refugee in the same place I lost my mother and sibling has had to be one of the most chaotic, confusing, and surreal experiences of my life.

Thankfully I was granted asylum in 2018 and given the chance of life once again while still advocating for better conditions for queer people here and back home. Since 2017 I've been living in New York City, and I've learned how to survive this city which in itself is extremely different coming from a very small island. I was in the shelter system for a year before finding housing in The Bronx in a recycled apartment that wasn’t the best conditions for living. Nonetheless, I made it my home and did my best with it until I registered for Bard Microcollege at the Brooklyn Public Library and was given housing resources by my college advisors.

I got through with a beautiful affordable studio apartment in Harlem with rent control. Harlem’s history is rich and the cultural significance and connections that I’ve made through our own Jamaican queer poet Claude Mckay who helped influence pioneers of the Harlem Renaissance like Langston Hughes have been grounding. My chance back at college has been a phenomenal experience, and I’ve really been killing my classes this semester with all A’s thus far. I want to finish my Bachelor’s in theatre arts and literary arts at the upstate Bard campus in Annandale-on-Hudson come Fall 2023, which by then I should have completed my associate’s degree in liberal arts.

I’ve been working on and off in varying jobs within the food service industry to pay my bills since losing my main job back in 2020 due to the beginning of the pandemic. Through the connections, and great peers who are all excelling in my seminars at college I’ve grown tremendously as a human who’s passionate about social issues and pushing for a difference for a collective future for all. One of my peers who I so humbly appreciate has helped me in securing a job teaching robotics and arts to children in afterschool programs within the city. Unfortunately, that job hasn’t started training and scheduling me yet for any shifts, but I had to move into this studio apartment. I have assistance with paying my rent but I’m very studious and would love some furniture for a study area, as well as a bed and bed frame and other amenities to make this space mine. A kettle, some kitchenware, and plants. I’m looking at thrift stores for decor, and cutlery I could also purchase, but more so I’d like some shower curtains and curtains for my apartment windows especially since I’m on the first floor.

Please help me by donating, sharing, or advocating to get me settled in a place that I can call home. Imagine overcoming so much and still staying focused on my academics while battling very unstable housing situations during the pandemic, now imagine if I had more stability just how much greater my work could be. I understand times are hard, but every effort or best wish is received! This summer through a program I’m registered with I should be completing a yoga certification training. Please feel free to follow me on Twitter @Snowleopard876 or email me a for possible classes that I’ll be doing in Harlem parks for free but open for donations. Also if you live in the city and you have any resources like an extra office chair or student lamp then please feel free to message or email me! I’ll hop on the subway and pick it up if it’s easy to transport. Give thanks for taking the time to read this and my best wishes to you all during these unprecedented times!

One Love,

Karim