Written by Lydia Defranchi
I've never had to flee persecution and terror. I had a relatively safe and happy childhood, I enjoyed a college education, a future full of possibility... I married a man of my choosing and our families were happy for us. I pursued the career of my dreams as a broadcast journalist. Perhaps that is why the stories of refugees torn from their homes struck me so hard. It is difficult to fathom the unfairness of a life interrupted. And the indifference of governments and nations is discouraging; what is it like to be a single human, raging at an impenetrable wall? Were our ancestors not fleeing persecution and looking for refuge once?
I have the privilege of staying home now to raise my young children, and they will likely never know the kind of upheaval refugee children deal with. So I gave what I was able to give, and helped play a small part by bridging language barriers, coordinating translation for dozens of interviews so that refugees can speak directly to us and plead their case personally. Thank you for listening to them, and I hope above all you will hear them.