A refugee's story | Migration: a human story
Summary
TLDRBorn in Ethiopia, the speaker recounts a childhood marred by violence and oppression, leading to their family's escape and life in a Kenyan refugee camp. Amidst scarcity and harsh conditions, they learned resilience and the value of life. After years, they were fortunate to resettle in the UK, where they received support and began anew. The speaker aspires to help their community and shares a message of hope for fellow refugees, emphasizing the importance of patience and perseverance.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Born in Ethiopia, the speaker's family left due to oppression and violence against the Oromo people.
- 🔒 The speaker's father was imprisoned and bears physical scars, now disabled, and the mother also has scars from imprisonment.
- 🏕️ Grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya for 15 years, experiencing harsh living conditions with limited resources.
- 🌱 Despite difficulties, the refugee camp life taught patience, understanding, and the value of life.
- 👨👩👧👦 The camp was a diverse community with people from different countries and backgrounds.
- 🏥 Health issues like malaria were common, causing extended absences from school.
- 🗣️ The resettlement process was lengthy and involved interviews and orientation about life in the UK.
- ✈️ The family was fortunate to get resettlement in the UK, a process that can take decades for some.
- 🏡 Upon arrival in the UK, they were supported by refugee action staff and caseworkers who helped them adjust.
- 💼 The speaker aims to settle permanently in the UK for a better life for their children and possibly represent their people.
- 💔 Mental health is a significant concern for refugees, with many suffering in silence.
Q & A
Where was the speaker born and why did they leave Ethiopia?
-The speaker was born in Ethiopia. They left Ethiopia due to a lot of killing and oppression against their ethnic group, the Oromo.
What was the speaker's father's experience with imprisonment?
-The speaker's father was imprisoned and bears many scars on his body from the experience, which has left him disabled.
How did growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya shape the speaker's life?
-Growing up in a refugee camp taught the speaker patience, understanding, and the value of life. It also exposed them to a diverse community with different experiences and languages.
What were the living conditions like in the refugee camp?
-The living conditions in the refugee camp were harsh, with scarce water, limited food, poor housing, and unspeakable health conditions.
How did the speaker and their family end up in the UK?
-The speaker's family was fortunate to receive a resettlement opportunity, which after a long process that included medical and orientation checks, led to their arrival in the UK.
What support did the speaker receive upon arrival in the UK?
-Upon arrival, the speaker was met by refugee action staff and caseworkers who helped them with registration, understanding how to shop, and settling into their new life.
Why does the speaker want to settle permanently in the UK?
-The speaker wants to settle permanently in the UK because they believe their children will have a better life there.
What is the speaker's current occupation and future aspirations?
-The speaker currently works as an interpreter and aspires to possibly represent their people once they obtain further qualifications.
What message does the speaker want to convey to others in the refugee camp?
-The speaker wants to convey a message of hope to others in the refugee camp, emphasizing the importance of holding on and being patient.
How does the speaker reflect on the mental health of refugees?
-The speaker acknowledges that the mental health of refugees is often at risk, with many people 'dying inside' due to the trauma they've experienced.
What are the lasting impacts of the speaker's childhood on their current life?
-The memories of the speaker's childhood in the refugee camp still stick with them, even as they and their siblings are gradually getting used to life in the UK.
Outlines
🌍 Escaping Conflict and Seeking Refuge
The narrator recounts their birth in Ethiopia and the subsequent escape from the country due to widespread violence and oppression against the Oromo people. Despite their parents' lack of political involvement, the father was imprisoned and bears physical scars, now disabled, while the mother also carries scars from imprisonment. The family's decision to leave Ethiopia led to a life in a refugee camp in Kenya for 15 years, where the narrator grew up amidst scarcity and harsh conditions but also learned the values of patience, understanding, and the appreciation of life. The family eventually received a resettlement opportunity to the UK, a process that involved extensive interviews and preparation, including medical and orientation processes facilitated by the UK embassy.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ethiopia
💡Oromo
💡Imprisonment
💡Refugee camp
💡Scarcity
💡Malaria
💡Forgiveness
💡Resettlement
💡Interpreter
💡Mental health
💡Hope
Highlights
Born in Ethiopia and left due to violence and oppression against the Oromo people.
Parents were imprisoned and scarred due to their ethnicity, leading to their decision to leave Ethiopia.
Spent childhood in a refugee camp in Kenya, learning about forgiveness and the importance of forgetting.
Life in the refugee camp was challenging with scarce resources and harsh conditions.
Despite hardships, there were moments of joy and play with friends in the camp.
Health conditions in the camp were poor, with frequent illnesses like malaria causing school absences.
Grew up appreciating life and the value of patience and understanding due to camp experiences.
The refugee camp was a diverse community with people from various countries and backgrounds.
Underwent a series of interviews to recount the reasons for leaving Ethiopia.
Experienced a long resettlement process, which can take 10 to 20 years for some refugees.
Received help from the UK embassy and underwent medical and orientation processes.
Arrived in the UK and were met by refugee action staff and caseworkers at the airport.
The first time feeling peace and security upon arrival in the UK, contrasting with the camp's dangers.
Learned how to navigate daily life in the UK, such as shopping and using public services.
Plans to settle permanently in the UK for a better life for their children.
Aspirations to work as an interpreter and potentially represent their people with further qualifications.
Migration is a tough and traumatizing process, but the message of hope is crucial for those in camps.
Mental health is a significant concern for refugees, with many suffering in silence.
Gradually adjusting to life in the UK while cherishing the memories of their childhood.
Transcripts
i was born in ethiopia
we left ethiopia there was a lot of
killing going on i don't remember
but i know this from my parents
my family are oromo
my people are really oppressed
there's a lot of killing they imprison
anyone who tries to express themselves
or represents their people
my dad and mom were not political but my
dad was imprisoned
he has a lot of scars on his body
like a lot
he is now disabled
my mom has a lot of scars on her body
after several times of being imprisoned
they decided to leave the country
i grew up in a camp in kenya but heard
stories about home
we had to learn what forgiveness is we
had to learn to forget
i vividly remember growing up in a
refugee camp
being a refugee was my life we were
there for 15 years
a refugee society is a vast community
with people from different countries
different experiences different
languages
as a child growing up it was difficult
but i enjoyed the moments that i had
there was scarce water limited food it
was a desert very hot
snakes and scorpions you know
the housing was very poor
health conditions were unspeakable
but i used to go out and play with my
friends and go to school once in a while
unless i was sick
especially with malaria
when you would miss school for weeks and
weeks
growing up in a refugee camp taught me
to be patient
understanding and that things don't come
easy
it made me appreciate life
and the fact that being alive is the
best gift you could have
in the camp you go through a series of
interviews they ask what made you leave
your country it's hard to recall
especially for my dad and mom i could
see it on their face they don't want to
remember but you have to
we were lucky
we got a resettlement opportunity but
the resettlement process takes time for
some people it takes 10 to 20 years
just like many other families we had to
undergo medical and orientation process
we met people from the uk embassy who
gave us some information about living in
the uk
schooling medical issues dentists and
things like that
after months we finally came to uk
my brother was the one who came to uk
first
by then my elder sister was married and
living with her husband and family
so we left her in the camp with her
children and husband
we arrived in the uk and we were met at
the airport by refugee action staff and
our caseworkers they were there to help
us
my younger sister and brother were so
happy
seeing the plane and everything it was
exciting
for us it was like okay fine
let's start over again
this was the first time i felt peace and
security
it never felt safe in the camp knowing
that when you sleep at night your
neighbors are being robbed or raped that
kind of stuff
we had interpreters and the caseworker
they came home with us and explained
everything
having come from a refugee camp you know
most of the things are new to you we
registered with the gp the dentist and
everything
they took us out to the shopping center
they showed us how to do shopping how
you can go ahead and pay you know for
your own shopping
i plan to settle in the uk permanently
because my children will have a
beautiful life here i work as an
interpreter maybe once i get
qualification i'll be able to represent
my people
migration in general is tough difficult
and traumatizing but for people in the
camp i just like to pass a message of
hope
it's not easy it's all about holding on
and being patient for most refugees the
mental health is at risk we feel okay we
don't want to talk about it
but most of the people are dying inside
me and my siblings are gradually getting
used to the life here
but the memories of our childhood stick
forever
you
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