journey to nowhere
the story of a young man forced to flee his home
When telling our stories we typically use the phrase and then to transition to the next part of the story. Behind those and then phases are moments that provide so much context that drive us towards empathy, compassion and kindness towards each other.
We attempt to share just a few of those and then moments from a young man forced to flee his country.
I was forced to flee but I had to wait until the proper moment. I didn’t say goodbye to my family or friends. I wept as I was running. I hopped on buses with strangers hoping it was going the right way. I snuck through the jungle to avoid security check points. I finally made it to the ocean where I could get out of my country.
I approached the boat and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was an extremely old boat. Seemed like it was built 100 years ago. It was built for 8 people to ride but there were 25 on the boat. They took us out into the deep parts of the Atlantic Ocean to avoid the military picking us up. It was the most scared I’d ever been. I had limited money and they were charging for life vests –I didn’t want to risk spending any extra money.
There was a mix-up at the airport. I couldn’t fly to Brazil because of visa issues. Ecuador was the only place that I could go. I slept and lived in the airport for 2 weeks while I figured out my next steps. It was a journey to nowhere with very little money in my pocket.
I landed in South America and some relief because I was no longer in a place that could easily take me back to my home country and jail me. I literally had no idea what I was about to face. I knew nobody. I had no support. I was completely on my own.
I had to travel by either bus or by foot. I traveled through 8 different countries. Some people requiring money to point me in the right directions –others stealing my money and leaving me with very little hope. Columbian officials said they would stamp my passport after paying, they didn’t. They told me had 21 days to get through their country or I would be detained and kicked out of the country. I tried to communicate as best I could in countries who spoke languages I didn’t understand.
The Darién Gap is referred to as one of the most inhospitable and dangerous places on the planet. It is 66 miles without roads consisting of mountainous jungle, swamp, armed guerillas, drug traffickers and deadly creatures covering the border of Panama and Colombia. We passed the bodies of those who did not make it. There are things that happened in the Gap that I’ll never be able to forget.
One night I was walking and got chased by gang members. They wanted to rob me and take all the money I’d earned sweeping porches and doing odd jobs. I ran to the police because I believed they would protect me. They arrested me, striped me naked to search me, took all my money and sent me right back out into the streets. I finally made it into the United States where I was detained.
I was transferred from facility to facility. I was handcuffed and my feet were chained. I was treated like a criminal. It honestly surprised me, I was fleeing and seeking help. When I finally got to America I was treated like I had committed a terrible crime. I was sent to several detention facilities. The worst was in Louisiana –I was packed in a cell with 45 other men. There was 1 shower and 2 toilets for that many people; I was there for 5 months. I was finally released I was now I await a court date to take the next steps. I have extreme hope for the future.