marinemom
08-21-04, 06:15 AM
Boarding a vessel of hope - Civil war and discrimination in Africa stained refugee's bleak past
by Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.
Chevron staff
The day was sunny. The boy waited by a road in Somalia. His family stood by his side, ready to travel to Kenya in hopes of salvaging their lives.
Their airplane never arrived. Pop! Pop! Pop!
A firefight shivered the crowd. Everyone rushed for safety. Weapons fired everywhere and smoke from scattered bonfires began to obscure the air.
"My mother was confused, screaming and trying to save us," said Pfc. Abdulkadir Jaffar, who today becomes a Marine after graduating with Platoon 3085, Company K. "(She) told me to go and save myself. I saw my aunts and uncles and ran to them."
Jaffar and family were subjected to the consequences of civil war, a very bad memory for them. They were wealthy, but because of their Indian heritage, his family faced discrimination.
"They did not see us as Somalians," said the brown-eyed Jaffar, who lived in Somalia his entire life. "While the war was going on, people came to the houses to rob you. They took everything from us. We had to hide in a bomb shelter. We wanted to leave the country because people were being hurt and killed."
Two days after missing their plane, the family was on a crowded passenger boat to Kenya. They left the country with nothing. No money. Their passports stolen in raids.
"Our family in Kenya supported us," Jaffar said, his American English slightly hinting a foreign accent. Although their relatives helped them financially, Jaffar's family had no education or money.
"We heard the U.S. was accepting refugees," he said. "So we made our way to Pakistan where they were taking people to the U.S. We were interviewed about why we wanted to be here. We came here under refugee status and are now permanent residents with green cards."
Because of a mix-up while entering the country, his last name was changed from Kassim to Jaffar, his father's first name. He plans on changing his name back.
Upon entering the country, Jaffar and family moved to Houston, where they currently reside. He attended Sharpstown Senior High School, home to an Army Junior ROTC drill team. Jaffar became intrigued by the team.
"I had never seen anything like them. They looked sharp and conducted themselves professionally," Jaffar said of the JROTC cadets. "I saw them go on to different high schools for competitions."
Jaffar joined the team, and it consumed his free time. He said he let it because JROTC replaced his physical education credit, and it was better because he exercised more and learned first aid and CPR. Two of his three years in JROTC earned Jaffar a meritorious promotion in the Marines to private first class.
JROTC prepared Jaffar for military service. He has witnessed war and wants to help people, which is partly why he joined. He also realized America offered more than Somalia.
"I basically want to say thank you and make a difference in peoples lives," he said. "I do not want to see people go through what I've gone through."
Jaffar was an easy sell for Staff Sgt. Tom R. Magby, a recruiter in Westheimer, Texas.
"At his high school cafeteria, he approached me and introduced himself," said Magby. "He said he wanted to be a Marine."
Jaffar plans to use the Marine Corps to help him attain citizenship.
"His ultimate goal is to become a Marine Corps officer, and he needs his citizenship for that," Magby said. "He learned he could still go to school for his degree and be a Marine in the reserves."
Jaffar had researched the Marine Corps and the Army.
"All the Army talked about was college money," he said, who rejected promises of education and money - something his family had none of in Kenya. "The Marine Corps recruiter talked about helping people, the challenge and serving around the world."
For Jaffar, Somalia is an empty memory of an airplane that never arrived. Now the Corps is his vessel of hope. And he is on board.
by Lance Cpl. Edward R. Guevara Jr.
Chevron staff
The day was sunny. The boy waited by a road in Somalia. His family stood by his side, ready to travel to Kenya in hopes of salvaging their lives.
Their airplane never arrived. Pop! Pop! Pop!
A firefight shivered the crowd. Everyone rushed for safety. Weapons fired everywhere and smoke from scattered bonfires began to obscure the air.
"My mother was confused, screaming and trying to save us," said Pfc. Abdulkadir Jaffar, who today becomes a Marine after graduating with Platoon 3085, Company K. "(She) told me to go and save myself. I saw my aunts and uncles and ran to them."
Jaffar and family were subjected to the consequences of civil war, a very bad memory for them. They were wealthy, but because of their Indian heritage, his family faced discrimination.
"They did not see us as Somalians," said the brown-eyed Jaffar, who lived in Somalia his entire life. "While the war was going on, people came to the houses to rob you. They took everything from us. We had to hide in a bomb shelter. We wanted to leave the country because people were being hurt and killed."
Two days after missing their plane, the family was on a crowded passenger boat to Kenya. They left the country with nothing. No money. Their passports stolen in raids.
"Our family in Kenya supported us," Jaffar said, his American English slightly hinting a foreign accent. Although their relatives helped them financially, Jaffar's family had no education or money.
"We heard the U.S. was accepting refugees," he said. "So we made our way to Pakistan where they were taking people to the U.S. We were interviewed about why we wanted to be here. We came here under refugee status and are now permanent residents with green cards."
Because of a mix-up while entering the country, his last name was changed from Kassim to Jaffar, his father's first name. He plans on changing his name back.
Upon entering the country, Jaffar and family moved to Houston, where they currently reside. He attended Sharpstown Senior High School, home to an Army Junior ROTC drill team. Jaffar became intrigued by the team.
"I had never seen anything like them. They looked sharp and conducted themselves professionally," Jaffar said of the JROTC cadets. "I saw them go on to different high schools for competitions."
Jaffar joined the team, and it consumed his free time. He said he let it because JROTC replaced his physical education credit, and it was better because he exercised more and learned first aid and CPR. Two of his three years in JROTC earned Jaffar a meritorious promotion in the Marines to private first class.
JROTC prepared Jaffar for military service. He has witnessed war and wants to help people, which is partly why he joined. He also realized America offered more than Somalia.
"I basically want to say thank you and make a difference in peoples lives," he said. "I do not want to see people go through what I've gone through."
Jaffar was an easy sell for Staff Sgt. Tom R. Magby, a recruiter in Westheimer, Texas.
"At his high school cafeteria, he approached me and introduced himself," said Magby. "He said he wanted to be a Marine."
Jaffar plans to use the Marine Corps to help him attain citizenship.
"His ultimate goal is to become a Marine Corps officer, and he needs his citizenship for that," Magby said. "He learned he could still go to school for his degree and be a Marine in the reserves."
Jaffar had researched the Marine Corps and the Army.
"All the Army talked about was college money," he said, who rejected promises of education and money - something his family had none of in Kenya. "The Marine Corps recruiter talked about helping people, the challenge and serving around the world."
For Jaffar, Somalia is an empty memory of an airplane that never arrived. Now the Corps is his vessel of hope. And he is on board.