Fall 2021 23 dence on the government. “The clothes you wear, the food you eat, you depend on the government,” said Gaju. “Here, I don’t depend on anyone, I can do anything I want.” Sada had a similar experience with education in Rwanda, and also appreciates the opportunity to be educated in America. In Congo, it is not common for women to work or girls to go to school. “[In Congo] only my older brother went to school,” Sada said. “I only went to school when I got to America.” Sada wishes teachers in America would be more understanding towards refugee children and recognize the help they need. “Refugee children who just then have to start going to school are just going to need more help,” Sada explained. Living in America and getting an education allows Gaju to have hope and view her future positively. She has big plans and dreams. While currently an Earth Science major, she said her ultimate goal is to have her own show. “I want to be able to have my own show and talk to people about life in general and how they should take care of themselves and their health,” Gaju explained. “So, I feel like I’m not in the right path in my education. But it’s good for me to know about science and stuff like that, so it kind of relates to what I’m doing right now.” Both Sada and Gaju have extended family still living in Africa, and Gaju said her family very much wants to come to America. “The way Africans talk about America you would think it’s heaven!” Gaju shared with a smile. “Imagine if you grew up going three days without eating… And then think about America – it’s a country that you get to eat everything you want, you get to work, you can have any job you want, and you get to go to any school you want to. People think we don’t stress out here.” “People would even tell us… if you need $200, it’s like you could just sit down and that money would appear by itself,” Gaju recalled, laughing. “That’s how they think.” Gaju also said the people in America are one of her favorite things about living here. “I just love the way they welcome you,” Gaju said. “Back in Africa, the people who live in the camps, most people are disrespectful to them. They think they don’t have the capacity or the mindset to think like them. They think they don’t have anything to contribute to society, like they’re stupid or there’s something wrong with them just because they’re not educated.” Gaju said her main motivation for sharing her story is to help people in similar situations back in Africa. “Most people from our country don’t want to share [their stories] because they just feel like it’s embarrassing but I don’t,” Gajus said. When asked what she thinks Americans could do to help with the situation in Rwanda, the first thing Gaju encourages Americans to do is go to Africa themselves. “I would tell them to go to Africa to have the experience, to see how people live life, so they can help them according to what they see and how they feel,” said Gaju. “If you have the kind of heart to help, I would want you guys to help the people in our country. That’s also my dream, to work hard and help and change something back there. And you will never want to do that if you don’t know the story behind.” Esther Fultz is a sophomore Social Work major and an Off-Campus and On-Campus writer for Cedars. She enjoys writing songs, spending time outdoors, drinking coffee, and hanging with friends.
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