The US foreign aid freeze unjustifiably impedes the efforts of local and international non-profits supporting vulnerable communities who are affected the most by the executive order. First-hand accounts help to mirror the dire needs of people and to hold onto One Humanity. In the face of adversity, anything living becomes vulnerable and desperate for assistance — flora or fauna. It is the eyes and hands that thread with these realities that can reflect the impact of every drop of aid; the compassion that contributes to positive change.
We have witnessed and empathised with these circumstances, which get to sink even deeper when we leave people in their unsolicited and now “new” way of life. People who are helpless in foreign lands, with no immediate choice to return to their home country, unless they choose to sacrifice their lives to the harsh realities—of war, drought, or of persecution.
Recalling the scenes of life in Palabek Refugee Settlement may cause mental indigestion, leaving a long-lasting imprint in the mind of an empathetic person. Imagine scenarios of formerly optimistic and relieved communities witnessing humanitarian relief and their only hope vanished into thin air. They ask themselves, "What do we do now?" in reaction to the thought of their next meal, medical bill, education, domestic dispute, roof leak, and the most vulnerable of situations they will unavoidably encounter.
When an individual can afford a smile, with the confidence of a restored tomorrow, the better for us all. Stories of survival and recovery can be powerful. We look back and what races on our mind is the people we have left, after showing them our faces, it now looks evident that we ran away from them. The question we ask ourselves is; what will we tell them the next time we will meet in this world where uncertainties seem even more eminent.
We need to take accountability for our impossibility, in this moment, to stand by our doctrines of humanity, cowering to fidelities, and casting a side eye to our calls to action. It is our responsibility to work for a world where the person, aware of their value and dignity, is the protagonist of their own integral development and that of their community, even in crisis and emergency contexts. Alas, we have been forced to turn our backs and run.
When we strive to assist people in learning how to create a respectable life for themselves after providing them with the necessary skills, food, shelter, healthcare, education, and clothing, we can still contribute to our One Humanity and look up with untiring hope for a brighter future. Unmasking our identities will allow us to make this world a better place for everyone, for everything living.
If we hold each other’s hands one more time, we will continue to play our roles in distinct community contexts through a learning, participative, and collaborative approach in pursuit of creating positive change for generations, especially for the people in most need of services.
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