Congo Convo

On the second to last day of the trip, we volunteered at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp with an organization called Good Vision that gives out prescription glasses to those in need. While we were volunteering, I sat and talked to a guy about his life experiences.

Initially, I thought he was working with good vision because he was translating and telling people which stations to go to. After talking to him, I found out that he was a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and helped with their programs because it gives him something to do. I asked him what made him come to the refugee camp and he told me that he had to escape the Congo because they “just started killing people”. When I asked him why the conflict started, he said he didn’t know.

He proceeded to ask me how America is and then told me that it is his dream to come to America because there is peace. This simple statement helped me understand how we champion things as large problems in America and don’t appreciate how lucky we are to live in a country that doesn’t have widespread conflict. People all over the world are going through unimaginable hardships and would love to live in the US while we complain about how our country has gone awry because of political disagreements and social divides.

Later in the conversation I asked him if I look American because I’ve always wondered if my African genes have been “Americanized.” He laughed at me and told me that we are brothers, and I am black just like everyone around us. This made me happy because I felt like I belonged with everyone which can be a rare feeling in the US. I am glad that despite our cultural differences and diverse experiences, we still share the same identity, and our heritage unites us. I went into this trip with the intention of being a global citizen and this interaction represented how people can remain connected across oceans and geographical boundaries.