I was recently asked to be a part of the upcoming UNHCR World Refugee Day in my country. I was asked to put literally myself in the shoes of those individuals who have been forced out of their homes and countries, due primarily to conflicts. I was then invited to contribute my thoughts and feelings through a document that would be shared at a gathering on World Refugee Day.
As a mother, I feel that our primal instinct is to protect and nurture, but protection and nurturing that is coupled with nesting. To many of us, a nest may initially bring a picture of “a little bird and a couple of eggs” to mind but in my opinion, a nest brings to mind home. It means having a center, a base, headquarters, in short somewhere to come back to.
That got me thinking. What does this four-letter word, HOME, really mean? To some, not much, because for them it’s something easily taken for granted. To others, it’s a base. A place where you shower, change, nap and get back out there. But, for a lot of people, it’s a residence, it’s family, it’s dignity, it’s freedom. Most importantly, it’s where the heart is. I probably can’t even count the amount of times that I’ve walked in and out of my home, the amount of time I’ve spent time in my home just hiding away from the world in a safe and comforting haven. A lot of those times, I have not really sat and looked around to soak it in and really see what it all means, and certainly not for me, but for my family, until now.
The thought of the loss of this base, this center, a center that helps us be centered, truly breaks my heart. So here I am, thinking about the 5 million people in Tanzania who are currently refugees without ‘A Home’. My heart breaks to think about what that means for the 48% of refugees who are children. I am empathizing with them but also in awe of them all. In awe of their strength. In awe of their resilience.
I wish for a day when every person in this world will have a physical home to house the home each of us carries with us in our hearts.
What does home mean for you?
This is an original post by Nancy Sumari from Tanzania. You can find more of her writing at Mama Zuri.
Photo Credit to Susie Newday.
I have lived in 5 different countries to date and my dream was always to put down roots and call somewhere home. I feel the same way you do about what the concept of what home really is. It’s definitely my castle and safe haven, my nest and the social meeting place for friends and family.
I lost my parents when I was still a child so I KNOW what it means when a child feels blown around in the wind without their own safe haven. It certainly is the duty of every adult to do the best they can to find a remedy for such an enormous social sickness.
It might be a cliche’ but to me “Home is where the heart is”, in other words, when I’m with my family (the people I love) I’m home. 🙂
I can’t imagine not having a place, however humble, to call my own. 🙁
Your post resonated with me. Last year my grandmother passed away at 92 years old. As I reflected back on our time together, the word “home” kept coming into my mind. Home is a word my Gram and I talked about often. I grew up in walking distance to my grandmother’s home, but I moved across the country after college. My idea of home, and if I could build it away from my family, felt insecure. My Gram talked me through much of that, having had her own experiences of leaving her family and then returning. She talked about building your home with the person you love in an area that can sustain you.
Then as she aged, she had to leave that house I used to walk to as a child in order to live in a smaller apartment. Eventually, she had to move to a nursing “home.” She never felt home there. It was not an ideal way for her to move on from this world. This idea of home…it’s almost like a feeling, a connectedness to loved ones, a place where you have roots. I have built a home for my family in a new place, and it feels so real, but I still also consider the place I grew up in as home. It’s all that nostalgia and memories.
I am fascinated by your story because I just can’t imagine how this all translates to refuges. What an important perspective. You have given me lots to think on. Thanks!
What a noble experience! Thank you for bringing attention to the fact that there are refugees in Tanzania. (I didn’t know.)
And, your thoughts carry over to refugees everywhere. It is a very heart breaking experience for our fellow humans to go through, and I felt it in this post.
Always great thoughts coming from Nancy Sumari — you make me think, Nancy. Thank you!
Jen 🙂
Great post, Nancy! I didn’t realize either the number of refugees in Tanzania at the moment. I knew some refugees came from the western region, but I didn’t know how it truly is.
Personally I work on having home be where I am… a still place within myself that can be still and at peace no matter what is happening outside. However, what actually is home, is where my family is. Also, there are certain places like a couple of Baha’i Centres, some of my friends’ homes, & other random places that feel like home…they feel safe & like I could rest my head without explanation, without fear of anything happening to myself and more importantly my children and husband.
Good thought. Thank you!
Home has so many meanings. And it doesn’t have to be a buildling or a place, it can be a memory, a feeling, a person, or even a lanuage.Loved your post, Nancy!
Home is where my children are!
Home is where i find peace, love, joy and happyness!
This makes me treasure my family and home so much. A home is not so much a house with four walls, but it’s a dwelling place where my family, the ones I love dearly are.