My name is Nasraden and I’m a refugee from Ethiopia. I am a husband and a father of two children. I am separated from both my parents, sisters, brothers, aunt, and uncles back in my home country. I left my home country because of a political war. I was pursuing my studies when people were demonstrating against the government. The government started pursuing people to death, some of us were killed, others were taken to jail, and others ran away from our country. This is how we became refugees.
In 2016, I fled my country and traveled by a lorry to Kenya. I found myself in a foreign country where the language became a significant obstacle. Back in my home country, we don’t speak English or Kiswahili; we only speak Oromo and Amharic. Initially, my friend employed me to work in his shop. The language was a significant barrier to running the business, as I struggled to communicate effectively with my clients. Additionally, when COVID-19 came, we had to close down the shop for seven months for fear of contracting the disease.
During that time, I got married. I am now a father of two children. In 2023, I met Galgalo, RefugePoint’s Community Navigator, who introduced me to RefugePoint. I was given food to feed my family, house rent for six months, and medical assistance. Whenever I got sick or anyone in my family did, we would go to the public hospital, get a prescription, and then forward it to RefugePoint, where we would receive free medicine. I was also enrolled in business skills training, and subsequently, I received a grant to start my own business. I sell a variety of clothing items, including jeans, T-shirts, shirts, and jackets. I also sell various types of shoes. My business is doing well to the point that I can easily pay rent for my shop, where I work, and I can even pay my house rent without struggle.
I don’t know how to express my gratitude to RefugePoint. I would like to thank all the staff at RefugePoint, as you have done a great deal for me and my family. We don’t lack what to eat, we don’t lack school fees, we don’t lack house rent. Now, my life is not bad, but I will continue to press on and work hard with determination and seriousness so that I can transform my life into a better one.
I desire that my children attend good schools that offer a high quality of education, so that in the future, they can pursue careers as doctors, engineers, or other important professions.
Most importantly, I pray that one of my children will become president in my home country or even in Kenya.