Inspired by a Refugee's Spirit
Inspired by a Refugee's Spirit
I read with great interest the story of Moulid Hujale, the Kenyan refugee. There were many heart-breaking aspects to this story, beginning with the death of his dad in the civil war in Somalia. This young boy (now a young man) has suffered so much since this time including being separated from his mom on the refugee journey (not knowing if he would ever see her again), struggling to become educated in the tough refugee school conditions, and even being selected as one of the slim majority to complete high school.
What has inspired me most about this story is Moulid’s spirit. Despite all the obstacles and disappointments that he has faced since leaving his home in Somalia, he has never given up on his dream of a brighter future…one that involves making a positive difference in the lives of his fellow countrymen through his passion for writing.
I contrast this with how so many of us (myself included), take our opportunity to obtain higher education for granted here. We complain about the cost, the hard work, the cranky professors…and when we graduate we complain about…yea the list goes on.
We could all use a little of Moulid’s spirit and take away a valuable lesson from his story here. We can always look around us and see much that we can consider unfair in our little world. Yet I challenge anyone to read Moulid’s story, take inventory of what was unfair in his, and then continue on in despair.
What did Moulid do? He could have given up many times…and who would have blamed him? But he didn’t. Instead he persevered, stayed positive despite the many setbacks that awaited him and pursued his dream for a better life. He focused on what he could do, not what he couldn’t. Finally, he is now using his skills and gifts to try and make a positive change for those around him. He summed it up best when he said,
“I would like to change the world through writing and document refugee crises or stories that are not heard and extract them for the world to see, and act.”
I will be praying that the world (you, me) does not just read or hear stories like this, but that we do act on behalf of people like Moulid.
Garry Howe (Glen Dhu P.S.)
1 Reply
Garry,
I was just as moved by Moulid's story. Your words have captured some of my own thoughts about his spirit - not only to survive difficult circumstances, but to seek opportunities to make change for himself and other refugees. It's stories like Moulid's that stir us from complacency and make the issues more real. As a girl I lived in a refugee camp for a few months. Not until I was an adult did I realize that many people like Moulid spend years in refugee camps - his entire childhood. I was shocked recently to find out that one of the refugee camps in which I lived finally closed in 2005. That means there were people living there for well over 20 years.
Thanks for sharing.
Hoa
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Hoa (Wa) Truong-White
Global Education Officer,
World Vision Canada
This post was edited on: 2011-12-20 at 11:44 AM by: whitehoa
Hoa Truong-White
Dec 20, 2011 at 11:35 AM