A Voice For Refugees

I sat with my back against the Mount Kailash School in Nepal, facing the Himalayas. My volunteer group was fixing up a schoolhouse for over 200 Tibetan refugee students.

During a break, we asked the children, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

The children immediately responded: "I'm learning English so I can be a teacher."

"I want to be a dancer and a mom."

"I want to be a cook."

"I want to be a doctor!"

I was happily stunned. We were in Tashi Palkhiel, the oldest Tibetan refugee camp in Pokhara, where over 800 refugees had fled from China only to be discriminated against in Nepal. The Nepalese government denied them the right to vote, hold jobs, go to school, or hold documentation. The political situation was bleak, yet these children's hope was bright.

After saying goodbye, one of my AFS-USA program leaders said, "You know, I thought you were super shy and quiet at first. But when you talk with the kids or things you're passionate about, you get louder. You seem so confident and happy." I looked over at her, surprised. My program leader had no idea that I had grown up painfully shy because of a rare genetic nasal problem called choanal atresia.

I lived the first twelve years of my life with a pretty nasal-sounding voice. Kids teased me at school. My parents thought I had constant allergies. Finally, just two months prior to Nepal, doctors corrected it through surgery. I finally liked my voice. Then it hit me. I refused to be quiet anymore, especially about things that mattered.

Here in Nepal, these refugees used their voices despite obstacles. Even under the watchful eye of soldiers, little education, and extreme poverty, these heroes were bravely painting the world they envisioned. If they were brave enough to speak out, then I would too. Over the next few years, I increasingly advocated for refugees. I applied with a friend to be a Program Director for Y-Serve Refugee. Our group mobilized hundreds of college students to ship thousands of quilts, mattresses, and bags for refugees worldwide. After my mission, the Ballard Center for Social Impact heightened my determination.

Through an on-campus internship with BanQu, we partnered with Utah Valley Refugees to improve case management. I learned more about what refugees truly needed. Right now, over 26 million refugees are fighting for a voice. They flee from violence in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, Venezuela, and South Sudan. There are refugee camps filled with hundreds of thousands, but also refugee families next door in Utah Valley.

Despite their suffering, they are strong survivors. Unfortunately, in countries refusing citizenship, they lack opportunities to speak out about the public health, trafficking, educational, economic, and employment challenges they face. Refugees deserve to chart their futures. Refugees deserve to have a voice. Towards that goal, I plan to pursue graduate degrees and opportunities in humanitarian and social impact, and give my voice for them.