Make up your mind

Nothing can prepare you for life as a refugee. The fear of moving out of your home country, to the shock of the new country can be daunting. Long days and nights of loneliness, strange people, cold nights and the food introduce you to culture shock. There are those nights when you feel so lonely and even fear dying on your own and no one knowing that you are lying somewhere dead for weeks. But the key here is to survive. The day I decided I had to become a refugee set me on a path that would change my life for ever. On many occasions I have wondered what my life would have been like had I not become a refugee. I have had my challenges, trials and tribulations. Nothing prepared me for this. There is no school for being a refugee. There is no guide for refugees. There are no advisors for refugees in how to live like a refugee. You are on your own from the moment you take that first step. You can get financial assistance and accommodation and some counselling on how to try and cope but that is it.