Refugees

A teenage boy is trapped in a country full of war and bloodshed. He witnesses the death of family, friends and neighbors, and loses his leg in a bombing. This boy, Ali, from Afghanistan, makes the life-changing decision to embark on the three thousand mile journey to the refugee camps in Greece, with an old prosthetic leg to carry him there.

When discussing his journey, Ali said, “This was very difficult. . . but my mother said, ‘you must go to another country. You can’t stay here.’”Ali struggled for years. Volunteers from the U.S eventually found him and provided him with the help he needed.

Azim, one of six children, was an only a child when his father died in an effort to defend their home, and in a result, Azim lost his feet. After he lost his father, “everybody protested,” saying that his sisters must be married off. “But the girls did not want to. [However], they said that girls must not protest. It is not a custom in Afghanistan for girls to talk. They have no right to study and work, they must get married.”

Ali and Azim are just two examples of the many thousands of refugees that flee from their war stricken countries seeking peace and a place to call home. Organizations around the world have reached out to these refugees, many of which are from the U.S, and some are even based in Utah.

Through a volunteer organization called You Took Me In, refugees mostly from Africa and the Middle-East have been given apartment complexes in Salt Lake City to provide a temporary home until the families can get settled in the new country. Because there is such a wide variety of people and cultures, volunteers have to keep track of who can eat certain foods, such as differently prepared meat and varieties of grain and fruit.

You Took Me In was started by Kat Olson and her family, and has been helping the refugees for years. Olsen discussed the hardships that refugees endure before they can get to the United States. She said, “Usually when refugees escape their country because of war or persecution, they flee to refugee camps. There are many camps in Africa, so a lot of refugees end up there, and can be stuck at those camp for years.”

TSOS, which stands for “Their Story is Our Story,” is another foundation based in the U.S., with volunteer services available in Utah, that works to raise awareness about refugees and share their stories. Elizabeth Thayer is a member of this foundation and has visited refugee camps all over the world, painting them and telling of their tragic reality.

“It is a crisis that will not just go away,” said Thayer, “Millions of normal, everyday people are sitting in temporary housing, refugee camps, or worse, waiting for life to begin again… They live in uncertainty, but are remarkably resilient and cheerful in bad conditions. They hold up the best they can, and cling to the most important things – loved ones, faith, and hope. They are holding on.”

Thayer expressed different ways that high school students could get involved in relief efforts. “Young people can do a lot. They are smart, creative, and have a lot of energy.” She mentioned that organizations such as the International Rescue Committee and Catholic Community Services have numerous service opportunities available to everyone: tutoring, mentoring a family, assisting with simple chores, etcetera. “Personal involvement is the most meaningful,” says Thayer. “That’s what they need: a personal connection.”

Although we may not be able to empathize with many refugees’ situations, sometimes all they need is someone to listen to them and acknowledge their value as human beings. “I will [wish for success] for those who try to help bring families together,” said Firoz, a Syrian refugee. “I want to thank you all so much for listening to my story. And may God make you well for listening.”