Kids Meet A Refugee | Kids Meet | HiHo Kids

Girl: What was the most shocking thing
in America, like what was different?

Aleen: Schools are different.

Here, you guys don't get beaten.

Back in my country, oh, you do something,

you get whooped.
[laughs]

Boy: Wait, Really!

[Music]

Hi, I'm Jessie.

Hi, I'm Amina

I'm Mira, nice to meet you.

I'm Jules...I'm Aleen

Oh my god, they look taller than me!

[All laugh]

Boy: You're taller, you're taller

A: Did you guys have
any questions about me?

Girl: Where do you come from?

A: I'm from DRC.

Boy: Democratic Republic of Congo
A: Oh wow! How do you know that?

Jessie: That's in Africa, right?
A: Yea, that's in Africa

Je: Are you a refugee?
A: Yes, I'm a refugee.

Jules: Ok, and what is that?

A: It's a person who was forced to
leave their country because of war.

Ju: Ah, that's... that's not cool.

A: Yeah, it's not cool.

Mira: I can't relate to that but uhm
wow, that's really hard.

G: So why is there a war in the DRC?

A: There's a war because
one of the cultures is trying

to take over the whole country
for themselves.

Ju: It wasn't like,
a military war or something

A: No, it's not a military war.
Ju: So...

A: It's a war between people
that speak different languages.

M: What was it like,
how old were you?

A: I was eleven years old

- And what were some of the things
that you saw in Congo during the war

- Houses that were burnt

A: A lot of noise, heat, fire

blood, a lot of people getting killed.

M [softly]: Wow

It must have been really scary.

Je: Was it hard to leave Congo?

A: Uh, it was hard for me,
'cause I was there by myself

My mom left me with my dad,

she ran away with my other 2 young siblings

when there's a war, you know,

your parents go their own way

and you go your own way, you know

they're just running for their safety...

A: I didn't know where she was

I didn't know anything about
where she was going...

So me and my dad stayed in Congo

trying to figure out where to go

where was safe

So, when my dad got killed

– he got shot –

I had to...

figure out where to go by myself

Ju: Oh
A: yeah

Ju: Ish, I don't have a dad either

he had cancer right here

he died before they could
do the transplant, so...

A: How long ago?

Ju: It was when I was about, like,
16 months old I think so.

A: So you didn't get to see him.

Ju: Nah, not really.

G: How did you leave the country?

Did you go to like, a different country or

A: I had to walk

I didn't know where I was going
I just went straight

Je: Did you ask people for directions?

A: There was nobody
to trust for directions

If I saw someone I would go hide

because I thought they were the bad people.

M: How long did it take you to walk?

A: At least three months
M: Wow

A: In the middle of the night I would just
sleep under dead bodies

and if I heard any bomb I would just
lay down under dead bodies

M: And where did you get, like,
food and water from?

A: Uh, there was no food
and there was no water

If you wanted water you would just
have to go to the river or the lake

Ju: Yeah, to like

A: y-yes. Dirty water, yes.

Ju: Oh, that seems kind of,
like, disgusting

A: Ah, you get used to it
and it tastes great [laughs]

Now I don't think I would drink that water

[both laugh]

M: Were you alone the whole time?

A: Yes, I was alone by myself

Je: And so you did all this
when you were, like, no older than me

A: By the time I got to Uganda I was 13

Je: So not much older than me.

I can't imagine having to go through that.

B: What did you do
once you were in Uganda?

A: So, when I got there
I didn't know anybody

I was kinda lost

I was taken to the police station

And the police station asked people
to come see if I was their child

My mom showed up

When I saw her I was just overwhelmed

I didn't think she was in Uganda
I didn't know she was there

Amina: That's so sad

just looking at you I would never think
you walked days to get, that's crazy.

That really is
and it's an amazing story to tell

Je: What's it like to be at a refugee camp

A: I mean, it's safer than my country yea

but there's shootings there too sometimes

M: How long were you there?

A: I was there for 2 and a half years

Je: Does everyone at the refugee camp
come to America?

A: Oh, some people don't get a chance
Je: oh

A: Some people, you know,
you go through a lot of interviews

and if you miss, you make something
they decline your process

you don't get, yea a lot of people
didn't get that chance to come here

Je: Do you like it here?

A: Mh [laughs]

A: I mean, during summer yes, but [laughs]

yeah during winter and fall
I don't like it because it's cold

Je: Yea, Australia is really warm too
so I see where you come from

Ju: What do you think of the food?

A: Actually when I arrived
in the airport

they gave us orange juice
and it tasted horrible

yea I didn't like it

Ju: Uh, just to tell you,
I also don't like orange juice

[both laugh]

G: What was the most shocking thing
in America, like, what was different?

A: Schools are different.

Here, you guys don't get beaten.

Back in my country, oh, you do something,

you get whooped.
[laughs]

B: Wait, Really!

A: Yes, when you're late to school
you get whooped

But here it's different

I love school here
it's a whole different, yea.

M: What do you see in your future here?

A: Some of my dreams are
to become a business person,

or an aid person,
or an actress

M: I wanna be an actress, too.
That'd be so fun.

Am: Do you ever wish to go back to Congo?

A: I wouldn't go back there

I don't have any family left there
so I don't miss it

M: Do you miss your dad?
A: Oh yes, I miss my dad so much.

M: If you could tell him something,
what would you say?

A: Ah, I love him, "I love you"

He was a great dad

[music]

M: Thank you for telling your story to me

A: it was nice to meet you
M: Yes, nice to meet you too

[both laugh]

M: Alright, goodbye!
A: Bye!