Jeg er taknemelig / I am grateful

Jeg er i denne uge blevet rørt over mine medmenneskers medfølelse og evne til at give af den smule de har.  Jeg befinder mig igen i Jongelei, en af de mest fattige og underudviklede stater i Sudan. Et resultat af den lange borgerkrig her  landet er at folk har været tvunget til at flytte rundt. Stammer har bevæget sig fra deres fædrene jord, i håbet om at finde fred, og nu da krigen er ovre er de ikke altid velkomne gæster mere. De bliver bedt om at tage hjem. Nogle gange meget pludseligt og bestemt. Det er sket her. Fra den ene dag til den anden blev hele landsbyer bedt om at finde et andet sted at bo. De fik ikke muligheden for at pakke, kunne ikke medbringe nogen ejendele. De har nu søgt tilflugt på deres fædrene jord, i nogle landsbyer 1 1/2 times sejlads op ad floden nord for Akobo. (eller 6 timers travetur i raskt tempo) 

De er ankommet tomhændet, uden mad, har intet andet at søge i ly for solensstråler eller den massive regn under end de få træer der står langs flodbredden. De er nødsaget til at drikke vandet direkte fra floden, der er ikke andet drikkevand, mange har allerede diarre, mange er børnene hoster og har en lungebetændelse på vej grundet det skiftende vejr, og manglene ly. De sidder tæt sammen under træerne, for at udnytte skyggen.  Det er her jeg møder dem, har muligheden for at tale med dem, høre deres historie, høre om deres behov. Men det er også her jeg møder denne gavmildhed, og overvældes af værts-befolkningens imødekommenhed. De nye flygtninge overgår i antal værtsfamilierne, alligevel har de delt deres mad med dem, inviteret dem indenfor i hytter og stalde da regnen blev for stærk, og selvom de helt har overtaget hver et ledigt hjørne i landsbyen  har de ingen intentioner om at jage dem bort, eller bede dem om at søge ly et andet sted. Jeg spørger mig selv hvad jeg ville gøre hvis 1 million flygtninge pludselig dukkede op I København? Ville jeg give en familie husly i min lejlighed? Ville jeg gå i Netto og købe en måltid til dem? Eller ville jeg bygge et hegn om vores by, fortælle dem at de ikke var velkomne, at det vil koste mig for meget af min velfærd hvis jeg lukker dem ind? 

I Dengjok giver de den smule de har. I Europa giver vi nok et større beløb,  men ville du give hvis det virkelig kostede dig noget? Ville jeg?

Jeg er et priviligeret menneske! Jeg har et fantastisk job, hvor jeg gang på gang bliver mindet om dette. Jeg har muligheden for at rejse frivilligt, opleve, vælge mit liv. Jeg har økonomisk frihed, venner, famillie, kæreste.  Jeg har en uddannelse der åbner døre for mig, jeg har aldrig været rigtig sulten.  Mange af de mennesker jeg møder gennem mit job har ikke de samme muligheder, ikke de samme resourcer. De ting jeg tager for givet er ikke en selvfølgelighed,  jeg håber at jeg kan lære at værdsætte de ting, at være mere taknemlig i mit liv, og at dele ud af alt det der er mig givet her i livet.

English: This week I have been touched by  the compassion of fellow beings  and their ability to share the little they have. I am again in Jongelei state, one of the poorest and most underdeveloped states in Sudan. A result of the long civil-war here in the country is that people have been forced to move away. Tripes have moved away fro their fathers land, hoping to find peace somewhere else, and know as the war is over, they are not always welcome visitors anymore. They will be asked to go home again. Sometimes very sudden. That has happened here. From one day to another whole villages were asked to uproot and move to another place. They did not get the chance to pack their small belongings, they could not bring anything. They have now sought refuge on the land that used to belong to their fathers, in  small villages 1 1/2 hour by boat north of Akobo (or 6 hours walk) 

They have arrived with empty hands, they have no food, they have no other place no  to hide from the strong sun or the heavy rain than under the trees on the riverbank. They have no choice than to drink the water from the river, many is already suffering from diarrhoea, the children are coughing and many developing pneumonia from the sudden changes in weather, and the lacking shelters. they are sitting close together in the shadows of the trees. This is where I meet them, this is where I have the opportunity to talk to them, listen to their stories, hear about their needs. This is also where I meet this generosity, and where I am overwhelmed by the host-populations courtesy towards their neighbours. The new refugees are outnumbering the host population, but still they share their food with them, they invite them into their homes and stables when the rain becomes to strong, and even if the refugees has overtaken  every available spot in the village, they have no intentions of chasing them out.

I am questioning myself, what I would do if suddenly 1 million refugees turn up in Copenhagen? Would I give shelter to  a family in my apartment? Would I go and shop for groceries to cook them a meal? Or would I build a fence around the city, tell them that they are not welcome here, that it is costing me to much of my welfare if I welcome them? 

In Dengjok they give of the little they have. In Europe we might give a bigger amount, but would we give if it was a loss for yourself? Would I?

I am a privileged person. I have a fantastic job, where I again and again are reminded of this. I have the opportunity to travel freely, experience, choose my life. I have economic freedom, friends, familly, a boyfriend. I have an education that opens doors for me, and  I have never been really hungry. Alot of the people I meet through my job does not have the same opportunities or ressources. The things that I take for granted, should not be taken for granted, and I hope that I can learn to appreciate the things I have, be more grateful for the life I have, and learn to share of all that have been given me here in life.