Refugees want empowerment, not handouts | Robert Hakiza

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

Currently, most refugees live in the cities

目前，大部分的難民都住在城市裡，

rather than in the refugee camps.

而不是難民營。

We represent over 60 percent

我們就佔了全球 60%

of the number of refugees globally.

以上的難民數。

With the majority of refugees living in urban areas,

大多數的難民住在都市地區，

there is a strong need for a paradigm shift and new thinking.

因此非常需要 模式的轉變和新的思考。

Rather than wasting money on building walls,

錢不要浪費在建立高牆，

it would be better to spend on programs

更好的做法是把錢花在協助難民的

to help refugees to help themselves.

自助計畫上。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

We always have to leave behind all our possessions.

我們總是得要丟下我們所有的財產。

But not our skills and knowledge.

但不會丟下我們的技能和知識。

If allowed to live a productive life,

若能讓難民過著有生產力的生活，

refugees can help themselves

他們就能夠自助，

and contribute to the development of their host country.

並對收容他們的國家， 在發展上做出貢獻。

I was born in the city called Bukavu,

我出生的城市叫做布卡武（Bukavu），

South Kivu,

在南基伏（South Kivu），

in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

剛果民主共和國。

I am the fifth-born in a family of 12 children.

我家有十二個小孩，我排行第五。

My father, a mechanic by profession,

我父親的職業是技工，

worked very hard to send me to school.

他非常努力工作讓我能上學。

Just like other young people,

和其他年輕人一樣，

I had a lot of plans and dreams.

我也有很多計畫和夢想。

I wanted to complete my studies,

我想要完成我的學業，

get a nice job,

找一份好工作，

marry and have my own children

結婚，有自己的孩子，

and support my family.

並支撐我的家人。

But this didn't happen.

但這並沒有發生。

War in my homeland forced me to flee to Uganda in 2008,

我家鄉的戰爭，迫使我 在 2008 年逃亡到烏干達（Uganda），

nine years ago.

那是九年前。

My family joined a steady exodus of refugees

我的家人加入了一批離境難民，

who settled in Uganda's capital, Kampala.

他們在烏干達的首都 坎帕拉（Kampala）定居。

In my country,

在我的國家，

I lived already in the city,

我本來就住在城市中，

and we felt Kampala was much better than a refugee camp.

我們覺得坎帕拉比難民營好太多了。

Refugees in the cities

城市內的難民

have always been denied international assistance,

一直無法得到國際協助，

even after their recognition by UNHCR in 1997.

即使在 1997 年他們 被聯合國難民署認可之後仍是如此。

In addition to the poverty problem we were confronted with

身為當地都市中的窮人， 我們要面對貧窮問題，

as the local urban poor,

除此之外，

we were facing challenges due to our refugee status,

我們也要面對 因為難民身份而造成的困難，

such as a language barrier.

比如語言障礙。

In Congo, the official language is French.

在剛果，官方語言是法文。

But in Uganda, it is English.

但在烏干達是英文。

We didn't have access to education and health.

我們無法取得教育和健康服務。

We were exposed to harassment,

我們曝露在騷擾、

exploitation, intimidation and discrimination.

剝削、恫嚇，以及歧視之下。

Humanitarian organizations mostly focused

人道組織通常把焦點放在

on the formal settlement in rural areas,

鄉村地區的正式定居地，

and there was nothing in place for us.

什麼都沒有給我們。

But we didn't want handouts.

但我們不想要施捨。

We wanted to work and support ourselves.

我們想要工作 來維持我們自己的生計。

I joined my other two colleagues in exile

我和兩位在流亡的同事合作，

and set up an organization to support other refugees.

設立了一個組織來支持其他難民。

YARID -- Young African Refugees for Integral Development --

YARID──年輕非洲難民 整體發展的縮寫──

began as a conversation within the Congolese community.

開始在剛果社區內展開對話。

We asked the community

我們問社區，

how they could organize themselves to solve these challenges.

他們如何才能組織他們自己， 來解決這些困難。

The YARID programs for support evolve in stages,

支持難民的 YARID 專案計畫 是階段式地在演進，

progressing from soccer community, to English language

從足球社群進到英語，

to sewing livelihoods.

再進到縫紉生計。

The soccer changed the energy

足球改變了沒工作的

of unemployed youth

年輕人的能量，

and connected people from different communities.

並將不同社區的人連結起來。

The free English classes

免費的英文課

help empower people to engage with the Ugandan community,

協助幫助人們能夠參與烏干達社區，

allowing them to get to know their neighbors and sell wares.

讓他們能去了解 他們的鄰居並銷售物品。

The vocational training program offers livelihood skills,

職業訓練專案計畫 提供維持生計的技能，

and with them, important opportunities for economic self-reliance.

有這些技能可以帶來 經濟上自立的機會。

We've seen so many families

我們已經看到有很多家庭

become self-sustaining.

能夠靠自己維生。

We've seen who no longer needs our help.

我們已經看到誰 不再需要我們的協助。

As YARID's programs have expanded,

隨著 YARID 專案計畫的擴展，

it has included an increasing range of nationalities --

開始納入了越來越多不同國籍的人──

Congolese, Rwandan, Burundian,

剛果人、盧安達人、蒲隆地人、

Somalis, Ethiopian, South Sudanese.

索馬里人、衣索比亞人、南蘇丹人。

Today, YARID has supported over 3,000 refugees across Kampala

現今，YARID 已經幫助過 坎帕拉超過三千名難民，

and continues supporting more.

且會繼續幫助更多人。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Refugees want empowerment, not handouts.

難民想要被賦予能力，而非施捨。

We know our community better than anyone.

我們比任何人都更了解我們的社區。

We understand the challenges and opportunities we face

我們了解要自立更生所要面臨的

to become self-reliant.

挑戰和機會。

I know better than anyone

我比任何人都清楚

that initiatives created by refugees work.

難民想要工作的進取心。

They need to be internationally recognized and supported.

他們需要在國際上被認可和支援。

Give us the support we deserve,

把我們應得的支援給我們，

and we will pay you back with interest.

我們會帶著利息一起歸還。

Thank you so much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）