Dairo Antonio Úsuga David, is considered to be “the most dangerous drug trafficker in the world”. On May 4th of this year, the Colombian cartel leader was arrested and extradited to the United States. In the days that have followed, intense violence has risen up in Colombia. The cartels and guerilla groups have lashed back at average citizens because of Usuga’s incarceration, destroying property and vengefully killing innocent people.
Although the violence in Colombia has spiked in the last month, the culture of extreme violence and turf wars was present long before Usuga’s capture. Colombia has been a place of fear and hiding for over forty years, according to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Tension between social leaders and the many rebel guerrilla groups has increased significantly in the last few years. This has led to assassinations and violent outbreaks that have prompted Colombian citizens to flee for their lives.
Leo is a high school student who left Colombia in 2017 with his mother and siblings. The family felt forced to leave the country after his father and uncle were murdered. Like Leo’s family, Colombian citizens that flee the country become refugees and travel to Ecuador or neighboring countries. But, these host countries can be inhospitable.
Fleeing their home country is the beginning of a difficult journey. Once those seeking asylum are welcomed into a host country, there is the work of settling in. They need to buy essentials, find a new home, get jobs, enroll in school, and most importantly learn the language of the country they are now in.
This is the challenge that Leo and his family have had to overcome. After a hard year and a half in Ecuador, they were resettled into the US with the help of several different non-profit groups. They helped them find a home and took care of their first month’s rent. As the oldest in his family, Leo needed to work and take care of his siblings but he also needed to finish high school. He was referred to Grad Solutions, an online high school, by Chicanos por la Causa. This is when he was connected with his mentor, Mrs. Urquijo, for the first time. Mrs. Urquijo is a fellow Colombian who empathized with his experience.
Since January of this year, the refugee population has exploded. Today, the UNHCR reports there are 26.6 million refugees in the world—the highest ever seen, 50.9 million people displaced within their own country, and 4.4 million asylum-seekers. In total, an estimated 81.9 million people have had to leave their homes. Half of them are children.
For this reason, World Refugee Day on June 20th is an especially important event. While first world citizens concern themselves with trying to find the perfect shade of wall paint or finding the trendiest shoes, there are millions of people around the world in search of a safe place to sleep at night.
While things worked out well for Leo’s family in the US, it was due in part to the many supporters who helped them along the way. In the US, they were offered food stamps and had job opportunities. Due to the lack of transcripts from his school in Colombia, Leo had to start high school all over again. It was a challenge but he had some help from Google translate, Mrs. Urquijo, and his math teacher Mr. Chew. In total, he completed around 20 classes in three years, with limited knowledge of English.
It’s been a long hard journey for this student and his family but he is appreciative of all the people who offered help along the way. “I feel free and very happy,” said Leo. He is thankful for his Grad Solutions family. “It’s always great to have someone there to ask questions and pushing you to finish,” he said.
Now that graduation is on the horizon, Leo is looking forward to the future. He has been working in construction, but after graduation, he would like to become a police officer. At 19 years young, the possibilities are endless for this young man and his family.
Unfortunately, not all refugee stories end this well. There are millions of people who sleep in tents on the streets, in unsafe places, or in crowded refugee camps where resources are scarce. The conditions are poor and many people end up ill or assaulted. Many children go uneducated while they wait for something to change.
There are things that can be done to address the situation. The root causes might not be solvable by any one individual, but together we can play a part to make a difference in the lives of the vulnerable. Organizations like Amnesty International, Rescue.org, and this article from Ted.com share some ways you can help.
Sources
Colombian Refugees: No Solutions in Sight