NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A Nigerian refugee in New York City is working to make sure every person has a safe place to live when they come to America.
The RDJ Refugee Shelter, in Harlem, is a unique place that welcomes people from all walks of life.
“It’s called RDJ. Refugees Deserve Justice,” explains shelter resident Reny Javier Martinez Rivera, who notes he is “stateless.”
The 45-year-old is a native to Spain and came to the United Sates hoping to make a new life for himself, the only problem is the U.S. won’t give him citizenship and Spain won’t allow him to return.
With no place to go after being released from a detention center with an ankle monitor, he turned to the Harlem shelter.
“The majority of the clients here are asylum seekers, due to their histories of war, political beliefs back home and sexual orientation,” the 45-year-old explains.
The RDJ Refugee Shelter was founded by Edafe Okporo, who came to the United States to escape persecution in Nigeria.
“I have the experience of being an refugee myself,” he explains.
It is illegal to be gay in Nigeria, where Okporo was born, and after being attacked and beaten for his sexual orientation, he sought asylum here.
“I spent 5 months and 15 days in a detention center in New Jersey before being granted asylum,” Okporo said.
At the time he had no place to go, but he has come a long way from then.
His experience led him to start the RFD Refugee Center for people like Rivera, who are being denied rights because they are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“First off, he is an incredible New Yorker,” says Erica Boll, who helps run the David Prize.
The group gives $200,0000 to five people each year who are unrecognized and helping to make New York a better place.
Boll says Okporo was granted part of the prize over more than 65,000 finalists.
“Edafe’s story is one of resilience and grit. He’s doing it against all odds. He built something out of nothing and we at the David Prize we’re really moved and trying to find folks exactly like that,” she explains.
Okporo says he plans to use the money to expand his shelter.
“I grew up in a setting that if you have more, you should build a bigger table,” he says