Refugee For Life Quotes

“Many volunteers and short-term relief efforts want to do what they assume is needed rather than what would result in the most sustainable good.”
― Innocent Magambi, Refugee For Life: My Journey across Africa to Find a Place Called Home

“Be careful that, by coming to Africa as a volunteer, you are not primarily meeting your own need to feel accomplished and virtuous. Imagine a person stuck in a pit and you have two choices. You can either join her neighbors who are pulling the person out with a rope—or you can get into the pit with her, hand her a loaf of bread, take pictures for your Facebook page, and then leave. Consider a major mental shift away from pity and toward supporting the committed, long-term experts on the ground.”
― Innocent Magambi, Refugee For Life: My Journey across Africa to Find a Place Called Home

“face the challenges of learning a new language and finding a job in a country that may not recognize your qualifications. We’ve even heard of doctors cleaning toilets. Then there’s the matter of adapting to the weather, since most refugees resettle in colder climates. Finally, resettlement adds to the brain-drain, siphoning men and women who could contribute to society in their homelands. Yes, repatriation is better, but lack of opportunity often stands in the way of repatriation because there is nothing to go home to. Before fleeing their countries, many refugees cultivated the earth. When they fled, that land was almost always taken from them or at least occupied by others. Returning home to fight the occupiers can create conflict and cost lives. Many refugees either can’t go home or turn down offers of voluntary repatriation because they have nothing to return to.”
― Innocent Magambi, Refugee For Life: My Journey across Africa to Find a Place Called Home