Dear friends and well-wishers
Happy New Year. I wasn’t able to wish most of you a happy new year since I was away but it is never too late. I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity to report to you about my recent journey to Kenya. But before that, I would like to thank you very much for your support, materially and spiritually. My journey wouldn’t be possible without your support and continued prayers. I can’t find any words that I would use to thank you but rather just to say once again thank you very much. I feel more privileged to know you and to share with you in the journey of building our faith.
I was so excited; I couldn’t wait for the plane to touch down in Kenya. After 12 years I would meet my father again, and after 19 years I was going to meet my mother. Everything was prepared, my speech, various gifts and so on. I was already memorising how I would express my love to them since I have never had a chance to say I love you Mum and Dad. That for me was the biggest challenge in my life. I wanted to thank my mother for caring for me for nine months when I was still in her womb and taking care of me until I was three years till my dad and I left. I wanted to thank my dad too for struggling with me during our life as refugees in different countries until he left me in the camp in 1992.
On my arrival one of my close friends picked me up from the airport and took me to his place. I was so excited to meet up with old friends and relatives. The following morning, I tried to contact my father to send him word that I have arrived according to our plan. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to communicate any word to him for almost a week. Finally we managed to talk. It was very exciting.
The disappointment came when my dad revealed to me that he would not make it to Kenya due to some commitment he was undertaking. I was much choked; I didn’t know what to do at all. By the time we planned to meet in Kenya he was already appointed to take up a responsibility in the government. Since all of you are aware now, last year in January Sudan signed a comprehensive peace agreement. Now South Sudan is in a transition period and that was the major reason that I was not able to meet my father.
I did not know what to do, no-one I could find to share my disappointment with. I was totally confused. My dad tried his best the following week but he did not succeed, and the only option was for him to quit his new appointment and come to visit me, which he was going to do. I finally resolved it with him and told him not to come.
That marks how I missed the plan of meeting with my parents. The next option that was worth trying was for me to go to Sudan, but according to immigration laws I was not allowed to travel back to my country until I was able to become an Australia citizen.
After that I went for plan B, which was to go to Kakuma camp where I was living for 12 years. Immediately I arrived in the camp, word went out of my arrival. I was very glad to meet up with my old friends but I was very much disappointed about their living standards. Life in the camp has become worse. People surviving only on one meal a day and that meal is not even a proper meal. In a fortnight a ration is distributed of corns (maize) and oil and sometimes beans. That is the basic food in the camp.
Many friends and relatives turned to me for help, there was little to offer than what I had. Finally when all that I had was shared among friends we had to discuss about the future. About 90% of the population of the camp are young people. Many of them finish high school and they cannot afford to go to universities. That marks the end of their life, no jobs nothing at all. Eventually, many turn to crimes on the street because of boredom.
I feel sad for them, many envy me but I gave them hope, to have faith in God, and one day their opportunity will come. One of my friends went as far as questioning God’s existence, that they had been praying ever since but no answer. That was a voice of being desperate in life. I met with several groups and finally I met with the youth chairperson. I was able to explain all that
I was doing in Australia and what we can do together.
The major problem as I have mentioned above is the lack of activities for young people. They need many activities that would engage their minds in constructive things, but that is not possible.
The UNHCR cannot support these activities as they are not priority things in their list. With that it leaves these young men and women with no hope for the future. They asked me to connect them with young people here in Australia who would support them by writing to them - just a word would mean a lot to them.
I thank God that I was able to come back safely. After witnessing the life that I once lived, that motivated me a lot. This is a time that I am supposed to give back. I look at the things as a refugee, but from Australia, so my understanding is completely different. It has increased my passion for building peace in humanity. The life that I once went through, a life full of sorrow, a life that where you don’t know what will happen tomorrow. For me it is very painful, it is painful because I am not in a position to help to improve it. I sleep well, eat well, and drink clean water, but not knowing what is happening in the other side of the world. If we are all God’s creatures why aren’t our opportunities the same? That confuses me a lot. What would one do in such a situation?
I am very sad about failing to meet my parents, at least I should be very grateful that I am surrounded by love, which is the most important aspect of life. Especially after finding my friends in the same state that I left them a year half ago, I say thanks God that I am in Australia. Please do pray for refugees in the whole world, indeed they are suffering. If anyone wanted to have connection with the young people in the camp, I would be pleased to do that. Thank you once again for your support.
David N. Vincent
ayuelmading@hotmail.com
David is back at the University of Melbourne for his second year of study for a Bachelor of Arts double degree in International Studies and Criminology.
