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Refugees of Portland centers around the lives of refugees, immigrants, asylum seekers in Portland, Maine. The podcast seeks to get rid of the stigma surrounding this community.
Refugees of Portland
Refugees of Portland
12 DEC 2019 · I came to America due to the civil war breaking out in my country. The war was big. The war was between the civilians and the government. Everyone fled the country. The enemy gain control with the usage of guns. It was traumatizing. Everyone fled to different countries and become refugees in those countries. They wanted safety. In Kenya, Somalis went to four different refugee camps. They’re called Dadaab, Hagadera,Kakuma and Ifo .
Everyone fled to those camps. Everyone went where they wanted. At first, there were many issues for the refugees. Many of these refugees fled their homes. They had actual houses in Somalia. So imagine, having a roof over your head and feeling secure and flee to another country, you will be met with struggles. My people’s lives were filled with struggles. After everyone disperse, the went to different camps. Leaving everything they owned and everything they knew. They are refugees who have lost their families. They have lost their father, siblings..- they went through many problems. The UN came in and helped out the refugees. They registered them as refugees and this enabled them to get help from the UN. The Un helped bring lots of people to different countries. They were being placed in Canada, America, Australia, everywhere! It was luck. You didn’t choose where to be placed, it was luck. My family was lucky enough to come to America. When we came to America, we were welcomed with open arms and respect. They welcomed many refugees to the States. They gave us a roof over our head, healthcare and food. Our children were taken to school. They received free education. For elderly people like my mother, a house for her to live in. She got healthcare and her necessities were met.
If we look at the way the children and the elderly are taken care of in America, the eldery community suffers more. The reason for this is because the elderly refugee communities they had a life in their country. They had houses, they were able to wander free in their country, they had a sense of safety and belonging in their county. The reason why the left that life is due to the war. Now, if an elderly leaves their home in America, they could get lost. They don’t their address, where the house is located and also the snow. Weather is different. Whether in Somalia, Kenya and the refugee camps are normal hot weather. Over here, it is cold. It is winter. So for an elderly person, this is a problem to them. If they want to go out, they will slip and fall and break something. If they have an appointment, they cannot go. It is an issue for them. That is the issues amongst the elderly refugee community. But, there are great opportunities and those who got to take advantage of it are the children. Children who grew up in America, they had an education. They went off to college. They made something of themselves. They only ones that seem to be struggling in this new world are the elderlies.
America is good. It is safe. It brings calmness and peace. We live in this place and we are able to feel this. It is better than the country that was torn about by the civil war and everyone feared for their lives. It is better than that. It is way better.
25 NOV 2019
21 NOV 2019 · My life has been full of struggles. The somali civil war has brought me much trauma. My house was bomb as I was entering it. This caused my wife to be killed in front of me. This caused me to bury my wife and children. I love my wife every much. Life became difficult and it was hard for me to adjust. I fled to South Africa. I was able to seek safety there. There were no Somalis there at the time of my arrival. I was able to find a job but that was not for long. The natives of the country wanted us out. They killed all the men, they burned all the shops. Many people lost their lives. I fled again. I fled to country called Botswana. I heard there were Somali refugees there so that's why I headed there. We were welcomed in this country. They took us in. They took us to the refugee camps. While this was different from the treatment we received in South Africa, we still struggled. We were told we could not leave the camp. It was a traumatizing struggle.
I was told I'm going to a city called Portland in a state called Maine. Over there, you will be welcomed by a woman. She speaks Somali. She will help you adjust to your new life. I got on the flight I was told and landed at the Portland Jetport.
8 NOV 2019 · I came to America for an educational purpose. I came here to better my future and while I knew some english, the English in America and the English taught back in my native country are not the same. I left everything behind in order to be a student. Lot of Americans don’t realize how lucky they are to be living in America, they should be grateful for the opportunities they were given. A diploma from an American university is universally recognized in the world. Attaining a degree in America means you’ve set yourself up for a pretty comfortable life. And while some students struggle to get jobs in America with their degree, I encourage students to step away from the American culture, get out of the U.S and see just how powerful you’re degree is.
28 OCT 2019 · English Translation:
I’m from a refugee camp called Ifo located in Kenya. I am came to America by the grace of god, alhumdiallah. I was welcome to America with kindness and respect. I’ve lived in many states and have had a difficult time adjusting but now I am doing better and have caught up with the American culture. I was able to get my citizenship with any complication. There are many difficulties that I have stumbled upon while here in America. One of them being the language barrier. The english I learned in Kenya and the english taught here in America are completely different. It took some time but with the help of Allah, I was able to adjust. Also, the weather is different. The winters are painful and still bring much shock to me. But again, alhumdiallah.
When I first arrived to America, life was different. There were many things that I needed to adjust and it got to be very overwhelming. Now I attend school and work a part time job. I live in a low income apartment where they are able to count how much I make and decide my rent portion from that. Whenever I speak to others, I tell them this new place has given me the opportunity for a new life. A new life. If you compare life in Africa and life now, that life and this life are two very different ones. In America, I’ve met new people and they don’t have the same customs or culture values I you. So, at times it’s very difficult to understand each other. Eventually, I understood the American culture and understood the people living here. So, Alhumdiallah. Alhumdiallah. Alhumdiallah. I am very content with my life today. I am a single woman and I have no fear in being single in America. This place has freedom.
Refugees of Portland centers around the lives of refugees, immigrants, asylum seekers in Portland, Maine. The podcast seeks to get rid of the stigma surrounding this community.
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