Seeds Will Grow

Each day in June, I’m walking in solidarity with Sudanese refugees. I will share my reflections and stories from Sudanese refugees. My goal is to walk 3.1 mi / 5 km per day to raise $4,000 USD.

All donations will go to Trauma Rescue Aid‘s food distribution program for the more than 700 Sudanese refugee families they serve. Let me know your pledge in the comments below or make your donation today at gofundme.com/traid2024

If you cannot give, could you walk to help us raise awareness? Thank you for your solidarity!

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June 1: 3.1 mi / 5 km

Total: 3.1 mi / 5 km

As I walked my first 5 km of the month, I heard the honk of a car horn. Someone yelled, “제니! 타고 같이 가!“ (Jennie, get in! Let’s go together!)

I turned and saw my upstairs neighbor, window rolled down on the passenger side, leaning toward me, ready to welcome me into her car. Apologetically, I declined her invitation to finish my walk.

Two ponderings followed:

1 – This is a neighbor who has been making gestures for deeper friendship lately, and I want to reciprocate – to the extent that I felt badly not getting into the car with her. She might misunderstand my choice as rejection of her gesture of friendship. I wouldn’t want that. She doesn’t know why I declined her invitation. As I thought about this small moment‘s potential for misunderstanding, my mind shifted gears to the many large ways friendships, relationships, commitments, hopes, and dreams are interrupted when people become refugees. How many refugees feel grief and regret for the plans unfulfilled with friends and loved ones, business partners and second dates, school clubs and religious groups, extended family and long time friends? How many tears are shed after dreams of the people to whom they never got the chance to say goodbye? Those final shared micro-moments and huge losses mingle as one in their minds, while the shape of their current life and relationships is formed by forces beyond their control. Can you imagine the weighty mental and emotional load they carry?

2 – I felt gratitude for this neighbor stopping. Before she would stop, she would have had to notice a person walking, recognize it was me, and then make the choice to slow her car and pull over to the side of the road. I’ve walked in a lot of different contexts and circumstances, sometimes when I wanted to walk and sometimes when I had no other option. It was kind that she stopped to offer a ride – to lighten my load – to speed my journey to my destination. I pray that I can show a similar form of practical solidarity to immigrants and refugees: see them, recognize another human full of dignity and worth, and change my pace to take action. Maybe our collective actions this month can lighten the load our refugee neighbors carry and encourage them on their journey. It’s encouraging not to be alone.

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June 2: 3.1 mi / 5 km

June Total: 6.2 mi / 10 km

Throughout the month, I’ll share artwork from Sudanese refugee children served by Trauma Rescue Aid. Please take a moment to look at these images and read the child’s story. Artwork and stories are shared with permission.

First name: Rayan

Age: 10 years

Gender: Female

Location in Sudan: Khartoum

Story behind the drawing:

We were going home from school together, me and my friends Ruqaya, Malaz, and Mawada. Our school is called Tibyan School in Arkawit, in Khartoum. We were just walking like we always do.

On the road, we saw many soldiers. At first, we didn’t understand what was happening. Then they started shooting. There was also an airplane flying in the sky. It was very loud and very scary.

We all started crying and running. I didn’t know where to go. Everything was full of smoke and looked black.

My friends Ruqaya and Malaz were shot and they died. Many people were running everywhere.

Now, every day when I sleep, I see my friends in my dreams. It makes me cry and feel very scared.

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