Time With Rebels

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While they were staying in the refugee camps, Nyakim and her family would have to face a lot of danger and suffering too. There would be rebels who entered the camp to try and rob the refugees. Nyakim later spoke about her experience in the refugee camps revealing that her mother would shove her children into one room and to get on top of one another to avoid harm. Even at the camps, it was unsafe for them…

A Change Was Needed
Rebels in Refugee Camps

Nyakim’s brother still has scars to prove just how much they struggled in the refugee camps when a bunch of rebels came in and cut him. All that their mother could do when the rebels came was to just scream and shout. Their neighbors luckily came to the rescue and shooed them away. This was getting too much so Nyakim’s mother wished for her kids to taste the land of freedom: America.

The Big Move

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After years of applying and wishing to be able to get to America, the Gatwech family’s status could finally be approved in the month of April 2007. Since they had been applying for quite a while, it was truly a special moment for the family. They could not wait to finally get a reunion with their cousins, nieces, and nephews who had already gone there in search of safety and a better future.

The Land Of The Free
Nyakim Gatwech and Her Mother

It was such a sigh of relief to know that they would not have to worry about their next meal or sleeping in tents. It was just like heaven in a way. The family was now going to get full access to a good education, clean hygienic water, and proper medical care. However, Nyakim would soon realize that America was a place where good and bad both collided. Language and her dark complexion were about to make her life a living hell…

A Whole New Life

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By the year 2007, Nyakim finally reached America. So, with her whole family, she landed in Buffalo, New York. She was so excited that their patience and efforts were not sowing the seeds. They were beyond excited to see what the country had to offer them. Since they had been through so much in Africa, this was definitely a new experience for them. However, this does not mean that there weren’t new challenges ahead…

Prejudice And Racism
Nyakim Gatwech and Niece

Nyakim was a quick learner and soon realized that in order to be successful in America, it was going to take a lot of hard work and effort. Years later, in one of her interviews, Nyakim explained: “America is a really great country if you make it.” She did not forget all the things she had to deal with in order to get to the place where she was. Even in America, Nyakim had to live through prejudice and racism…