Suhur Afrah: From Somalia to Djibouti to the Netherlands – A family Reunited
Suhur Afrah: From Somalia to Djibouti to the Netherlands – A family Reunited
… I was born in Somalia and lived with my mother, father and 4 siblings. When I was 2 years old, militants had taken over the military (which my father was a part of) and started to capture and detain anyone they deemed loyal to the falling government. My parents took action, taking my sister and I with them to find a safe country of refuge and temporarily placed my brothers with my grandmother. We stayed in Djibouti for 3 months before making the journey to Norway to seek asylum but instead we sought it in Amsterdam.
… We stayed in a refugee camp for six weeks before we were given accommodation in Hellevoetsluis where my eldest brother was reunited with us and the war broke out in Somalia. My parents had lost all communication with my grandmother and brothers; my mother was beyond distraught and didn’t know what to do. Vluchtelingen Werk (VW) was a charity we were put in touch with, so my mother reached out to them hoping for any kind of help. They were amazing! VW tracked down my family, took them to safety and helped move them to Egypt, where they then raised even more money to reunite them with us in the Netherlands.
… By the time we were united I was 6 years old and my brothers were 10 and 11, they got a better shot at life. VW allowed us to be a family again, allowing us all to grow up together with the same privileges. My brothers got their childhood back and lived without worry. Now 25 years down the line, we are so grateful for VW, no words can describe what they have done for us and we will never forget them!
Source: Lebara
