i think that the reason i took this volunteer position was to help this one client in particular that i have. he's the kind that makes me wonder - if i hadn't come along, what would have happened to him?
since i met him back in september, he has been homeless and unemployed. he has struggled with depression and alcoholism. he can be somewhat paranoid about what others say about him. the general burmese community does not offer him any sense of community. at times i have seen an utter lack of hope in his eyes. and frankly, i can't blame him for any of it...
in order to seek a better life and escape the horrors of living in Burma under the military dictatorship, my client and his family spent time in both Thailand and Malaysia. While trying to work in Malaysia, my client was arrested for being there without proper documentation. While he was in jail, his wife and three children went back to Burma. After awhile, he was given the offer to go to Denmark as a refugee - he denied. Awhile later, he was offered a life in the United States with refugee status - which he accepted.
as of right now, he has no home. he has no job. he hasn't seen his wife or three children in years. and he doesn't have the money to even call and talk to them.
his story, their story, tears my heart.
there is an interpreter that we use from time to time - she is Burmese and came to the United States 18 years ago. and for whatever reason she has really made it her mission to help my client, even though she doesn't have much herself. her father still lives in burma. her father is 70-something years old. and last week, he set out on a journey to find my client's wife and three children in a small village in burma. his journey was long, and included canoe rides in areas where there are no land routes. but he made it. he found them.
but things are not good. my client's wife is having heart issues. they are all sick. they do not have money for food. they do not have money to stay in their home - they will be kicked out this month. they have tried countless times to send their marriage and birth certificates to my client so that they can join him through the family reunification process. but for whatever reason the mail has not gotten to him. they need help.
the interpreter's father who went to visit my client's wife and children took a digital camera with him. he took some pictures and emailed them to his daughter, who then emailed them to me. i was able to print them out and give them to my client. i cannot imagine what it was like for him to see these pictures of his family and his home that he has not seen in years, and doesn't know if he will ever see again....
No comments:
Post a Comment