Your Stories
Are you ready to do your part in bringing about change in our world?
Click here to the send a message to the President
Every person, in every corner of the globe, has been influenced in different ways by the United States. As a Superpower, America has managed economically and emotionally to affect people, while still maintaining an air of expectation amongst those it has disappointed. Many people have nothing but hope that under Obama’s leadership we can change the world. Many have demonstrated that they are also willing to fight for a better world - to do their part.Here are some of the stories of the people I’ve met who - even against the greatest odds - hold tight to their dream of a better life and partake in the process of change in the world. You may recognize yourself in these stories, or you may know people whose lives are not so dissimilar to the ones you’re reading here. For many, America remains a symbol of opportunity, for some it’s a beacon of hope and for a few it represents a living nightmare.
World leaders, including President Obama, need to hear these stories of courage in the face of crumbling dreams. Obama’s response and acknowledgment to these people could re-ignite the hope the world needs today and continue the dialogue to bring the world closer. Below you can find their stories.
AFRICA
Omar
"Mr President, I've been in this refugee camp for 18 years. I work with the thousands of people who arrive here after fleeing their homeland. We are without home and country. Personally my dream is to work and study in the US. We are ready to bring change to our community but we need leadership"
Omar lives in Dadaab, a huge refugee camp just inside Kenya, close to the Somalian border. Dadaab is the second largest refugee camp in Africa. Omar's family was killed in Somalia in 1991. He was just 14 years old. He escaped leaving everything he knew.
His passion is to help the new arrivals and care for them. He introduces them to their new home. Omar has also started a family in the camp. Omar tells me that even if he finally got out he would return to work in the Dadaab refugee camp - to help those left behind. This is the change he wants to bring about.
Omar introduced me to a newly arrived family, stricken by the violent loss of their young father and of their home.
Horiyo and her 5 children
"I am a mother of seven children, of which one is disabled. We are all vulnerable and desperate. I just want a home for my children".
Horiyo, a 26 year-old single mother, stands strong and smiles. Her new home is a refugee tent on the outskirts of Dadaab, Kenya. Horiyo’s husband was killed in 2008 by an unknown gunman, when Ethiopian troops supported by America invaded Somalia. Ethiopia is fighting to keep the Islamic fundamentalists who created chaos in Somalia away from their own borders, and families like Horiyo’s are the collateral damage. Horiyo saw me as an opportunity to get her story out and I saw her as an incredible symbol of human resilience.
Mahamed - Horiyo’s second oldest son.
"I am a young boy and the first born of our family. I would like to go to the USA and study there and become a pilot".
The first time I met Mahamed he was wearing a superman T-shirt so that's what I named him - Superman. Not just because of his T-shirt, but because of what he, as a 7 year-old, has to do for his family. Superman has been entrusted with the duties of his dead father. He is taking care of his disabled older brother and is helping his mother raise their family.
IRAN
Maani
"I would really like to send a message to my President Ahmadenijad"
Maani is the same age as me. He lives in Tehran, the capital of Iran. When Maani was a little boy, he was wounded when his school was hit in an Iraqi bomb raid. He is still in pain because of it. Iraq’s war on Iran in the 1980s was largely sponsored by America.
Today Maani is a quietly outspoken critic of the Islamic regime and has been imprisoned for speaking out. Even today he continues to be part of the movement for change - despite the dangers. Maani has no intention to leave Iran. He wants to bring change from within.
HUNGARY
Kristof
"Mr President, I am 33 years old and I live in Hungary. For me in my 20s, America was a land of opportunities. I hope that under your presidency, America as the only existing super power in the world can again become that hope for millions of people. The world wants to follow America and hopes that the US can become an example of a professional and consistent government with awareness that your country has a decisive effect on the economic, ecological and social conditions of our only common habitat"
As children in Hungary, Kristof and I shared our love for America. When I moved to Australia, our friendship continued in the letters we wrote. We shared our individual plans, goals and dreams. As an adult, Kristof has embraced the new capitalism in Hungary and applies a great sense of optimism to his work. His tenacity has brought him close to working with and in America, but the recent economic crisis took part of his savings and almost cost him his dream.
Kristof is an example of how America’s actions can affect anyone in the world. Kristof believes however that one cannot apportion all the blame to the US. The Hungarian government has also played its role in not being able to manage its own finances. He has just started another business venture in Budapest.
AMERICA
Greenwood, South Carolina - Jesse
Jesse at 26 is an Iraqi War veteran. His friend in March 2003 was the first American casualty of the Iraqi war. Jesse held the dying man in his arms.
He believes in freedom and wishes everyone in the world had the opportunities that he has. Jesse still believes wholeheartedly in the American Dream and its potential to do good around the world. But he knows firsthand that the dream costs and nothing comes without sacrifice. He believes that if everyone had what he has, if everyone tried to fight for themselves and take action to better their lives, the world would be a better place.
Jesse wrote a book about his wartime experiences. The book is titled 'Through Our Eyes'. Jesse tells me that Obama’s America may not be totally catering for the America of my dreams. He also sent a message to the President.
Skid Row / Downtown LA - The Guerra Family who lost everything in the Financial Crisis
While so many people dream of America and the life it offers, some people have already had it and lost it. While they are not in a refugee camp or being politically silenced, homeless families in Los Angeles are living very much in the wake of a shattered American Dream.
A year ago, the Guerra family had jobs, a home, pets and an education for their kids. Now, in the shadow of the financial crisis, their lives have turned into a windowless nightmare of unemployment and debt. The only roof over their heads is a homeless shelter. While living in a free country, they lost their freedom. Like so many other Americans and people in every corner of the globe, this family has questions they want answered. Is it right that those people who don’t succeed should be left behind? They wish President Obama would tell them what happened to their dream…and what chances there are for their future dreams.
Do you have similar stories? Do you know of anyone else who might have? It is time that we tell the President about our lives and how each of us is doing our part to bring about change. Let the President know.
