For a Better Life...
by Richard Bakheit
My name is Richard Bakheit and I am from Sudan. I settled in Uganda as a refugee for eight years. It was here that my family began to be disturbed by the rebels, the resistance army in Sudan that is fighting against the government. My two sisters and two brothers were taken away by the rebels. One of them was killed and we do not know what happened to the others. My family came to the US for a better life.
People in Sudan experience many difficulties. Since 1984 there has been a civil war that began because the Arabs who settled in the north of Sudan have control of the government and have tried to control the lives of the indigenous black people. Rebel groups, known as the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army movement, began to fight against the government against their will. Because of the war, the following problems have been happening in Sudan: no proper shelter, no food, no proper medical care, no clothes and shoes to wear, poor transport facilities, unskilled doctors and nurses, no proper roads, hostile tribes, tsetse flies which cause sleeping sickness because of thick forests, and man eaters (lions and wild animals). This is a brief explanation of some conditions in Sudan.
When I got here in San Francisco, I stayed home for that semester, because it was coming to the end of the semester. The following semester, in 2006, I joined high school but it is hard for me because I don’t write English well yet. I keep on working with my teachers and they give me good advice, and tell me that everything will be OK if you keep on trying. I started working hard, reading easy books for fun and asking teachers about anything that I don’t know.
My best ways of learning are: I ask my teachers for extra help; I have two tutors for helping me with my homework; I don’t watch TV except on the weekends; I study when everyone is asleep and it’s quiet; I ask my classmates for some help; I don’t give up although things are hard; and I always try my best to learn.
Here is some advice for youth new to the US:
--Get involved in community programs. "I joined the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program. It’s fun for me and they also pay me. Everyone is very friendly; I learn from them and they learn from me and about my history."
--Get a job. "I work at the YMCA and they pay me to teach and watch children. I make sure they play safely and don’t use bad language."
--Join in RT programs. "Refugee Transitions brought me to my first summer camp. I also got two tutors/mentors. I started with my tutor Matthew, doing school work and then just hanging out. He showed me lots of new things, like how to get around the city, movies, and introduced me to his friends. His friends are great, all with different experiences, and I learned from them. After he left for England, I got a new tutor, Dom, who helps me with school work, gives me advice like to read books for fun, introduces me to his family, teaches me to drive, and right now he is helping me find a job for the summer."
--Choose good people to be around. "Most of my friends are people who give me good advice and who I can learn from."
What Happened to Us
During the War
by Senada Mujajic
I am Senada,
the sister of Sanel, Sanela and Said. We lived during the war which
was dangerous place and time. We lived in our house in Bosnia. Our
dad fought in the war that time. On the other side we saw the
grenade right falling to us and it felt on our house that we were
living in. And the other grenade came through the window to our
room. In our room there were ten children and three women and our
mom was with us. All of us were hurt by the grenade. Our mom; mine,
Sanel's, Sanela's and Said's, she was hitten by a grenade. The arm
and both legs of hers were broken.
Just the time she was
dead in the accident. My muscle was been hitten from the right hand.
Sanel's back has been burned and the right ear has been hurt by that
grenade. Sanel and Said were scared of it and later they couldn't
speak for a while. My dad's sister and her children were with us and
they were hitten by a grenade too, but nobody had died. Our mom was
the only one who died.
When our Dad came
home he did not find us in the house. He only found our mom that was
all in pieces all over the room. Me and my two brothers and a sister
were in the hospital. From the day she died we were without our mom.
It was hard without her, we felt lonely. We did not have anyone but
our dad. Our dad had to marry another woman. She has two kids. Their
dad has been killed in the war. He was been shot with a hand grenade
in the head. They don't' have anyone but their mom. That's how we all
get together. And now we have one more sister, a brother and a
mother, but are thankful for all the help we get from the teachers
because we are a big family and we need help. We all are on the
welfare and we don't get enough for our family.
Our Dad told us that
we could go to the USA because that was our only way to survive. Our
apartment is very expensive. We pay $1100 per month. And we get
$1642 altogther. That is only for the apartment, and clothing.
That's why we will be so thankful if you can help us. We all go to
school and we are thankful, my dad, my mom, Senad, Edine, Sanel,
Husein, Sanela and Said.
The New Start
by Hien Ha
My name is Hien Ha, I come from Vietnam. I
learned English when I was in the Refugee camp in Malaysia. I came
to the U.S. in 1995 with my sister. I had a hard time to adjust to
this new country, that is why I moved a lot. Firstly, from San
Francisco, to Georgia, then Connecticut, after that I moved to
Ohio. I was pretty tired of moving around and I was homesick.
Doctors told me to relax and said I had
Anxiety. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I made a final
decision, this time my destination is coming back to where I first
arrived-San Francisco.
I enrolled in this program that I think is
very good for me to start, the employment services program gives
me a full benefits.
There is Jeanne, she is the Director, a very
nice and conscientious person. Maisha, an extremely wonderful
teacher , she teaches me ESL and computer, she does the job search
for us, we have a great time in our class because she has a good
sense of humor, I like her. I make friends with Kazuyo, an intern
from Japan, she is friendly and tactful. There is Nora, she is
incredible that I feel free to talk to her and exchange my ideas.
And I must not forget Connie, she shows me about the social work
field, she is full of energy.
As long as I am here everyday there are
things to see, to do, to learn, the day just seems to never end. I
enjoy being here, everyone is just great. I guess I no longer feel
frustrated and hopeless as I did before. I feel confident to
continue and to do more, learn more, express more, obtain
more...surely, I will see my future, a better one.
A Student's Story
by Truong Nguyen
Sometimes, I want to forget the hard,
unhappy days, when I was in Vietnam. When I was in jail under the
Vietnamese communist government. The time when I worked like a cow
and slept in fear. The unpleasant faces of the communist officers
with their guns always watched me each step. I want to forget them
all, only keep the good memories because I want a good night sleep
without any worry.
I cam to San Francisco with a lonely heart,
but I think I am a real person with freedom. I think, I am lucky,
because I have the love of my teacher. He talks to me, teaches me
carefully. I look at him like an older brother in my family. He
has the good personality which I can hardly find in other people:
forgiveness. Now, I forget all the unpleasant faces watched me in
my dream instead I see the sincerely face of my teacher in my
sleep. My parents, brothers and sisters are also happy for me,
because I will have the nice dreams when I'm sleeping after almost
twenty years the communist took over the South Vietnam.
Our New Life in the US
by Y Nhui Dong
We were born in Vietnam. We came to the US a
couple of months ago. During the first time, we had to face a lot
of difficulties concerning all areas of life. Fortunately my
father found out about Refugee Transitions via an Ad in a
hospital.
Refugee Transitions staffs are doing a great
job and are very nice. I think we are very lucky because we have
the love from the staff and the tutors. We receive a lot of help
and they are really working professionally.
Our parents cannot speak English. And for my
father has had two surgeries, he was not strong enough to go to
ESL classes. Refugee Transitions send a tutor who comes to teach
my parents at home. They also help us a lot with their Family
Support Service. When you arrive newly in a foreign country, it is
difficult to understand the social system here. With out Refugee
Transitions, our new life in the US would have been much harder
to solve. We really do appreciate the Refugee Transitions. Thank
you very much to Jeanne Mellett and Connie Truong again.
My Life
by Jenny Hu
I was born in
a small town and went to grade school but graduated from Shanghai
College. It's a big city. In college, I majored in medical
profession but I worked other office. Name is Textile Machinery
Factory until October 1977, I retired. November 29, 1989, visited
my daughter of the America with my husband. We intended to live in
the United States because all men are equal.
I have a lot of
friends in Shanghai, China. I miss them. Every Christmas we send
each other a card.
