Night after night for the past two weeks, Mohamed Gibril, restless with anticipation and worry, has stayed up to watch news reports from his home country of Libya.
He has witnessed a steady stream of violent scenes as rebels and forces loyal to dictator Muammar Gaddafi struggle for control of the war-torn country, each day more shocking than the next.
Image after image of places Gibril once visited, shops where he once ate, even streets he once walked, all have been thrown into sharp relief against a backdrop of gunfire — all constant reminders of the life he knew.
Gibril — a member of MSU’s Visiting International Professional Program, or VIPP — can’t believe what he’s seeing.
In scattered reports and snippets of information passed on from family members, Gibril has heard that almost no one in Libya is safe, that pro-Gaddafi forces have been killing “everybody”.
“We thought this was going to end, and you know, we thought everything was over,” Gibril said.
More than 40 Libyan students are enrolled at the university, according to the Office for International Students and Scholars.
About 24 are a part of the Libyan-North American Scholarship Program, and about 19 participated in VIPP courses, university spokesman Kent Cassella said.
The most recent extension pushed classes to June 15, and the university continued to provide housing and food assistance until June 30.
Even with aid, most students remained in limbo, unable to return to Libya and mired in mountains of paperwork related to asylum applications.
“We’re continuing to work with our delegation and our congressional partners to help the VIPP participants identify and work through options,” Cassella said in a statement earlier this summer.
Most couldn’t qualify for health insurance, and few could work, forcing many to dip into savings, Gibril said.
About 13 Libyan students — some associated with the VIPP courses — were taken in by local host families, but others — including Gibril — chose to live with their own families.
At least one student, Aiman Mustah, is optimistic the community’s efforts will continue.
“I hope everyone in America helps my friends,” Mustah said earlier this summer.
Ahmed Ghambi, a VIPP member, received an offer different from most.
Members of the Orion Housing Cooperative, 501 M.A.C Ave., in East Lansing, have been housing Ghambi for the past few weeks, a gesture he’s grateful for.
Housing cooperative members could not be reached for comment.
“We thank the U.S. for helping Libyan students,” he said.
Just days ago, Ghambi said he lost his best friend, a devastating blow in a journey already fraught with them.
The long, hard road that Gibril, Ghambi and others have traveled just might lead home soon. Rebels and NATO forces say they continue to make daily gains in Tripoli and elsewhere, moves which Libyan students are watching closely.
For now, Gibril hopes to stay in East Lansing until his country stabilizes.
“I’m hopeful for the transitional council, and I believe in the president of that transitional council,” Gibril said. “The thing is, to go back now … there’s no water or electricity. Maybe in a month or two when things settle down.”
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