For Those Displaced
I hope you people didn’t doubt me when I said I’d write again before the end of the year. Even though it’s too soon to shout that I am back, I think I am finding my way towards being consistent again.
A few days ago, not exactly sure what triggered my mind, but I found myself thinking about the civil war in Sudan. Yes, that war. The civil war lasted 21 years, 7 months, and 4 days from June 5th, 1983, to January 9th, 2005. A war that roughly took two million lives and displaced four million from their homes. Again, not sure what triggered this thought, maybe it’s the fact I traveled to East Africa this year or the memory recollection of Blood Diamond.
As some of you may know, ‘Blood Diamond’ is my favorite movie of all time. This movie is packed with lessons from the opening scene to the end credits. The title of the movie refers to “diamonds mined in war zones and sold to finance conflicts, and thereby profiting warlords and diamond companies across the world.” The setting of the movie took place during the Sierra Leone Civil War which lasted about 11 years causing many casualties and displacing many throughout the country. Not wanting to give much information about this movie I am going to stop myself here, however, I will highly recommend that you watch it.
Going back to Sudan Civil War, I remember learning about a British foreign aid worker by the name of Emma McCune. Her story is an intriguing one. My first encounter with her was through a song called “Emma” by Emmanuel Jal who was a child soldier during the civil war and now a musician.
Emma McCune
Fun fact: Emma was born in Assam, India. If you replace the first a with an e, you’ll get Essam which is one of my names.
During her stay in Sudan, Emma became known to be a woman who liked to get her hands dirty. A woman who does not let the fact that being a foreigner can prevent her from coming to aid those in need. During the war, Emma was able to rescue more than 150 children, one of which was Emmanuel Jal. So, you can imagine the impact she has left in his life.
I’m sure by now you guys are wondering why the history lessons. Well, before I get there. Remember the title of the song mentioned above Emma, well in the song Jal asked the question: “what would I be if Emma never rescued me?’ This is a question worthy to be asked. Jal was still a child when he was rescued. Most of his life was spent away from home, not knowing where any other family members were. Imagine if Emma weren’t there to provide a helping hand, where would he be today?
All around the world today, many people have been displaced for various reasons, some of which cannot even be understood. In our own very small way, we can all be an Emma for someone. We can be the reason someone’s life takes a positive turn. We can be the reason that someone makes it in this life.
As we step into the holiday season, it is the absolute best time to reach out to people and organizations who are working tirelessly to help those displaced find their way back. In my own small way, I am doing my best to fight for these people. One thing I’ve realized in talking to people about the projects I do is that people are always willing to help or be part of the change, but they just haven’t heard of organizations that bring about these changes nor know about the best channel their resources.
If reading this makes you want to do something great, I can share with you the current project that I am working on and also connect you with some wonderful organizations that are doing amazing things across the world.
Talk soon,