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| Meika |
Last week, the other interns from the Black Sash and I visited a Refugee Reception Center in Maitland. While we were there, we passed out pamphlets to the refugees informing them of their rights and the complicated process of applying for refugee status here in South Africa. Our director, Leone, also told us to simply speak with the people there. We asked them where they are from, how long they had been in South Africa, if they thought they had experienced xenophobia while here, etc.
I was nervous to go there. The other interns I work with had been to the center a few times, but I didn’t know what to expect. On top of that, I really didn’t think I would be helpful to anyone. But after we actually got there, I became much more at ease. It was easy to approach people and start a conversation, and I found that many just came up because they wanted the packet of information we were handing out. I think the most incredible experience of that day was meeting a few guys from Somalia. We learned that we were the same age and they told me about themselves. We spoke about the difficulties that their country is facing, and why they decided to leave. One of them said, quite simply, that he wanted the chance to find a job and live in a peaceful place. He told me that nobody knew the hardships he had faced trying to leave Somalia.
This conversation was especially meaningful to me because in one of my classes last semester I spent a lot of time learning about Somalia and its human rights issues. It was great to be able to take what I had learned and see it applied to the real world. Their firsthand accounts and stories gave me a whole new perspective. In retrospect, I was probably a little too giddy when I learned they were from Somalia. It was just so exciting! And truly, an experience I never thought I would have.
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