Bountiful Harvest

Enjoy this reflection from Iskashitaa's Special Projects Intern

While working at the San Augustin Mercado Farmer’s Market on Thursday, I got to help Arthur from Darfur with a job application.  This experience meant a lot to me.  He had many questions and was extremely grateful that I was there to answer them.  It was not a very long process.  It took about seven to ten minutes to finish the application but during this period of time I had a few realizations.  I’ve always known that coming into this country as a refugee is harder than words can articulate, but I really put myself in Arthur’s shoes yesterday and felt very moved.  Arthur told me about his four children and his wife.  He told me about his job and about going to high school in the Sudan. The whole thing just showed me how strong you must be in order to survive in a new country where you don’t really know your way around and where you don’t speak the first language fluently (along with all of the other obstacles you must face). What I am saying might sound silly; of course being a refugee is hard, obviously being in a foreign country is challenging, etc. but I had never really let myself explore what those challenges must be like on a deeper level.  It was extremely humbling for me.

Reflection by a former Iskashitaa intern

Music: Living Like a Refugee - Sierra Leone's Refugee Allstars
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1--WEe9b8L8)