High school graduates take different paths. Some transit to college, others drop out for various reasons. I did not drop out, but I took a long detour to the country of Jonas Savimbi, Angola. 30 years of civil war had made it one of the most dangerous countries in Africa at that time. That journey revealed my strength and my spirit of sacrifice for my family and for my country.
When I graduated high school in 2008, my family's situation was not at his best. My dad in exile in America could not afford a higher education cost for me and my 21 siblings. I decide to postpone my dream of college to help my parents assure a better future for the rest of the family. To make it, I landed in an unknown place 2.244 miles away, Angola, a country with a different language, culture and customs.
Angola was in the process of disarmament, there were still many war weapons among the civilians. The poverty and the big gap between rich and poor gave place to high level of insecurity. I suffered assaults that sometimes came close to fatal. The most dangerous one was when some organized gang kidnapped me for two days. They put me into the trunk of my car and took me out of the city. I was found by a couple of police officers during their round of vigil. After several hours spent in the trunk, I found myself outside looking at one of the kidnapper tied up and beat up with blood all over his face by security agents.
The event traumatized me. I could barely sleep for days. I thought about returning home, but the monthly allowance to my unemployed mom, the tuition of my brother Thierno, the water drilling that I have committed to finance along with my father prevented me from running away. But I was forever changed. I viewed life differently. I realized how valuable and fragile life was. I decided to make every moment of the rest of my life counts, for we never know how long we have.
I would work during the day and take classes during the night. I eventually learned Portuguese, fluently speaking and writing. I learned from their culture and saw the country slowly pacify. My finance was in good standing, but that was not my dream. A dream that would be revived after a call received from my dad announcing a family reunification in America, a dream to finally make it to college. It was one of the happiest days in my life. I bought many English books. I learned the grammar and the vocabulary by myself I could not speak English for lack of practice, but those studies helped me pass on my first try the reading and writing English placement test once In America, saving me semesters of remedial courses.
When I went back home in 2011 to process my travel for the us, I discovered how the water drill was serving to hundreds of families daily, saving them miles of walk they had to do every day to get water. Furthermore, my mom was happy and proud. My brother became the first in the family to make it to College.
I gave up my college education in Guinea and was rewarded with a better one in the US, Hostos Community College. With my dream recovered in America, I will continue to strive with the same spirit of compassion and sacrifice and always be in the front line for my beloved ones, my family and my community.
When I graduated high school in 2008, my family's situation was not at his best. My dad in exile in America could not afford a higher education cost for me and my 21 siblings. I decide to postpone my dream of college to help my parents assure a better future for the rest of the family. To make it, I landed in an unknown place 2.244 miles away, Angola, a country with a different language, culture and customs.
Angola was in the process of disarmament, there were still many war weapons among the civilians. The poverty and the big gap between rich and poor gave place to high level of insecurity. I suffered assaults that sometimes came close to fatal. The most dangerous one was when some organized gang kidnapped me for two days. They put me into the trunk of my car and took me out of the city. I was found by a couple of police officers during their round of vigil. After several hours spent in the trunk, I found myself outside looking at one of the kidnapper tied up and beat up with blood all over his face by security agents.
The event traumatized me. I could barely sleep for days. I thought about returning home, but the monthly allowance to my unemployed mom, the tuition of my brother Thierno, the water drilling that I have committed to finance along with my father prevented me from running away. But I was forever changed. I viewed life differently. I realized how valuable and fragile life was. I decided to make every moment of the rest of my life counts, for we never know how long we have.
I would work during the day and take classes during the night. I eventually learned Portuguese, fluently speaking and writing. I learned from their culture and saw the country slowly pacify. My finance was in good standing, but that was not my dream. A dream that would be revived after a call received from my dad announcing a family reunification in America, a dream to finally make it to college. It was one of the happiest days in my life. I bought many English books. I learned the grammar and the vocabulary by myself I could not speak English for lack of practice, but those studies helped me pass on my first try the reading and writing English placement test once In America, saving me semesters of remedial courses.
When I went back home in 2011 to process my travel for the us, I discovered how the water drill was serving to hundreds of families daily, saving them miles of walk they had to do every day to get water. Furthermore, my mom was happy and proud. My brother became the first in the family to make it to College.
I gave up my college education in Guinea and was rewarded with a better one in the US, Hostos Community College. With my dream recovered in America, I will continue to strive with the same spirit of compassion and sacrifice and always be in the front line for my beloved ones, my family and my community.
