Refugee Journeys: Simon in his own words

Panther and Simon: (Sudan) [Jerry Can] {Emergency/Health/Wat-San Saving Lives} Panther and Simon When Panther got off the plane in New York City to record this interview, he still wasnt sure that it would really be his old, dear friend, and fellow Lost Boy, Simon meeting him there. It had been six years since these best friends—friends like brothers—had last seen each other, in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya where they found refuge after a treacherous journey over 1,000 miles together from Sudan—the home theyd been driven from over 20 years ago by a bloody civil war. Since then, Panther had been living in Boston, attending Brandeis University; Simon had made his new home in Atlanta, working toward his degree and U.S. citizenship. It was really Simon, and after they broke out of a tight embrace and much laughter, they sat down to record this reunion, and to reflect on the meaning of friendship, freedom, and the word theyre called by: lost. As Simon puts it: You are never lost until you dont know where you came from Saving Lives You are caught in the middle of violent conflict. In which direction do you head for safety? Are you wounded? Where do you find water? Where is your grandmothers medication? What do you eat? Where do you sleep? Where do you go to the bathroom? How do you cross the river? Do you have warm clothes when the chill of night comes? In an instant, an outbreak of war or the threat of violence and persecution can turn lives upside down—driving millions from their homes, tearing apart families and destroying communities. An estimated 300 million people worldwide live in countries affected by armed conflict. When violence and political instability disrupt societies and displace populations, public health services, clean water supplies, sanitation and stable living conditions are usually destroyed. As a result, death and disease skyrocket. When catastrophe hits, the International Rescue Committee is often one of the first aid organizations on the ground, providing critical assistance that saves lives, reduces suffering and jumpstarts recovery. Always prepared to deploy to the scene of a crisis, the IRC maintains an Emergency Team with specialists who can mount a fast and effective response and deliver lifesaving medical care. Our mobile relief teams reach even the most remote, insecure areas, where aid is often most scarce. By boat, road and helicopter missions IRC brings emergency services to the hardest-hit villages where we set up and stock clinics and train health workers and volunteers to provide basic health care in their communities. Water, essential to life, is critical in these situations and survival without these basic necessities would be impossible. IRC brings in emergency water supplies, constructs sanitation facilities and disinfects wells and stop the spread of disease. In arid, rural areas, we work with local communities to identify water sources, plan and build wells, and rehabilitate failing hand pumps. When the conflict subsides, the IRC works with uprooted and war-traumatized communities to rebuild their health systems. We work with people in various settings such as in refugee camps, and in host countries where refugees have resettled after a conflict. Overall, IRC health programs help approximately 13 million people in 25 countries, IRC experts in primary care, environmental health, reproductive health, epidemiology, child survival, and emergency medicine ensure that IRC programs use cutting edge public health tools and follow the highest standards for humanitarian aid. The human capacity to survive is astounding. But there are countless threats to the lives of uprooted people. Their vulnerability to death and disease grows even after they escape the immediate dangers of war. In crisis, help is critical.

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YouTube | October 9, 2008

Tags:. .irc. .arid. .disinfects. .brandeis. .persecution