Meet Boukary Ouedraogo!

Boukary is a volunteer interning at The Catholic Charities Community Services Refugee Resettlement Department, helping refugees and asylees like himself create resumes, apply for benefits, and navigate community resources since July.

In his home nation of Burkina Faso, Boukary was a respected teacher and humanitarian. As the founder of the volunteerism organization Horizon Sahel, Boukary was introduced to the humanitarian sector and discovered his love for helping others. Even during times of uncertainty in his life, Boukary has remained dedicated to charity and solidarity. Boukary emigrated to New York with his wife in November 2002 and was granted asylum status four years later. He received help from Catholic Charities that enabled him to settle into his new home in New York and get his first documented job in the United States.

In May of 2020, he earned his Ph.D. in education from Binghamton University, building upon his years of education experience in Burkina Faso. After graduating, Boukary knew he wanted to use his degree to help others, so he reached out to his old case manager from CCCS. Since then, Boukary has been volunteering his time at our Refugee Resettlement Department in Manhattan giving back to refugees and asylees who are in the same position he was in almost 15 years ago.

“The most rewarding part has been helping others get over hurdles that had burdened me,” he says.

Boukary continually goes above and beyond to help the immigrants he works with at Catholic Charities, waking up early to make calls before work, taking diligent notes, and extending immense compassion and patience to those he helps. He hopes to gain experience working in the American non-profit industry while volunteering with Catholic Charities so he can further dedicate his life to providing for those in need.