GG’s Ayaan Ahmed remembers her father who she hasn’t seen in 20 Years.
As we enjoyed our comfortable homes, restaurants, country clubs, parks, or
beaches to celebrate with our families and recognize father’s day, I am
reminded I have not seen my father in almost twenty years due to civil war
that began after the overthrow of the government of President Siad Bare of
Somalia. Due to war and its affects my entire family has had to seek refuge
in many countries covering over three continents. Do we get to see each
other? No. Do we speak everyday? No. Do we all hope one day we can all be in
the same place we can call home? YES!
I see little kids play in the parks with their dads and I close my eyes and
try really hard to remember me as young little girl in Somalia doing the
same with my dad. Thank God for the bits of memories I can recall. When I
close my eyes now I can’t envision what my dad would look like 20 years
later, and I wonder if I walked by him in Nairobi today would he recognize
me, no longer his little girl but now a grown woman?
So many of us turn the TV and see a ‘refugee’ as someone looking lost
carrying whatever they could at a moment¹s notice – but do we ever ask
ourselves what’s that person’s story? Who were they before they got to that
dirt road? Every refugee has a long heart-breaking story, they are proud
people forced to leave behind homes, families and places they loved because
of wars.
Some of us are lucky and have found refuge in safe countries, but still the
ramifications of being displaced from home and family is forever lasting
pain that one never truly recovers from.
So as you sat with your loved ones over dinner last night I hope you prayed
for all the refugees of this world that hope to find that peace you are
currently experiencing. According to Refugees International
(www.refugeesinternational.org)
disaster. More than 3.2 million Somalis 40% of the population are
dependent on external assistance, and hundreds of thousands of people have
fled the country to seek refuge in neighboring countries. There are
approximately 1.3 million internally displaced people in Somalia and over
400,000 Somali refugees in neighboring countries.
-Ayaan Ahmed came to the United States as a student from Somalia, and due to
the fall of her country’s government in the civil war of 1991, she was not
able to return home or be reunited with her family members. The eldest of
eight children, Ayaan continues to struggle with her refugee status to this
day. Ayaan is focused on the cause of empowerment for Africa and currently
works with the non-profit Diamond Empowerment Fund to raise funds for
education initiatives in African nations where diamonds are a natural
resource.
