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Adam Rajab Odongo was once a refugee himself, so he understands all too well why people flee their homes to escape the violence, destruction and degradation of war. Now Adam works for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Until recently, he oversaw operations at the Lugufu camp in Tanzania, where 30,000 Congolese refugees wait for the end of a ten year civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This long, bloody conflict between government troops and rebel forces has left over 3 million Congolese dead and forced over 150,000 into neighbouring Tanzania. Half of these refugees are children. When Katitwa, Wakenge and Benjamin Fataki arrived at Lugufu after a long, difficult journey out of the DRC, Adam was on-hand to welcome the brothers and explain the camp's rules. Although Adam empathized with the orphaned boys, he also knew that it was important to prepare them for the harsh realities of camp life. Hunger and depression stalk the camp's streets, and children are often hit hardest by the transition to life at Lugufu. "I know you don't have a father, you don't have a mother," he told the Fatakis. "But now you are in a different country, and you must obey the laws of Tanzania." Adam does his best to make the camp feel more like home by allowing family members to live together. Yet most families are incomplete; mothers are missing, fathers are dead, and siblings are separated. Adam spends much of his time searching for the missing via his contacts at other refugee camps. The Fatakis desperately wanted to find their eldest brother, Mugumu, the father of two young nephews for whom Katitwa, Wakenge and Benjamin now care. Mugumu told his younger brothers he would meet them at Lugufu, but they have heard nothing from him since. Adam could not find their brother, and breaking this news to the Fatakis and their young nephews was difficult. Yet Adam served as an unassuming role model, reminding the boys - and all of Lugufu's refugees - that life could, and would, go on. What Can You Do? Start by learning more. Article 22
of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child states
that any child seeking refugee status has the right to receive protection
and humanitarian assistance. To learn more about the grave situation
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to find out how you can
help, visit UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency that assists over
20 million people globally, and the UNHCR implementing partner, the
International Rescue Committee, a non-governmental organization that
has monitored and assisted refugees worldwide since 1933. The USA for
UNHCR is also a helpful resource for up to date news on the status of
refugees worldwide. |
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