When I share with friends that I’m volunteering with organizations to help our local refugee population, I usually get asked one or both of these questions:
“Why are refugees in Nashville?” and “How did they get to Nashville?”
I’m still learning the answers to both of those questions and will answer them in later blog posts. One of the first questions I to wanted answer was, “Who is a refugee?” UNHCR defines a refugee as one “who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence.” Most often, they will never be able to return to their home country. They leave behind everything they know and arrive in their host country with few belongings. They’ve endured a difficult past and have high hopes for a better future.
I’ve been working with two refugees over the past month. One refugee stepped on/drove over (there’s a bit of confusion in the translation) a mine that blew up and injured his leg eight years ago. Because of the damage to the leg and foot, he has had several doctor’s appointments to have X-rays, MRI and biopsies. I’ve had the privilege of taking him to most of these appointments. The second refugee speaks fantastic English and has therefore, gone with us to all these appointments as the interpreter.
I’ve learned a lot about both of their journeys from their country to the United States. The injured refugee, shortly after the mine incident, fled his country of origin because he was being threatened by terrorists in the area. He had to leave behind his wife and children and stayed in a refugee camp for almost seven years before arriving in Nashville about three months ago. His, and our, hope is that from these doctor’s visits he will regain mobility and be able to get a job where he contributes to society and can save up money to bring his wife and children to live with him here.
The refugee who has been interpreting for us has also been in Nashville for about three months. He came with both his parents and five siblings. His journey started when he was about seven as his family fled from their home country to Yemen. Over a 14 year period, they lived in two different refugee camps. When I asked him about the camps, he said their living conditions were dirty, unsanitary and small. Living quarters were cramped and food and water were not abundant. He said it wasn’t uncommon for people to die from malnutrition or disease while living in the refugee camps. Although it doesn’t paint an ideal picture of where to move a family, it was a place where they were free from persecution and they had a hope to transition to better conditions in another country. Last year that happened for them. They were moved to Romania to a short-term transition camp and then finally arrived in Nashville. One of the older siblings will start an entry-level factory job this week. The younger siblings are in school. Both parents are eager to establish a life here in Nashville where they can learn and contribute.
There are a lot of statistics I could quote to paint a picture of who a refugee is. However, if you were to ask me, “Who is a refugee?” I would tell you it is an individual who out of fear of living in their own country has done whatever is necessary to find a better way of life in another country. I would tell you a refugee is determined and resourceful. I would tell you that he or she desires to work hard to care for themselves and those around them. They are smart and have life experiences that exceed their years. I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn from them while I help them get adjusted to life here in Nashville. As I continue to learn and experience more about refugees, I look forward to sharing.
Until next time.
HicksHappenings 