Imani Sadiki

I’m so grateful for being given this opportunity to tell a short story about my life.
My name is Imani Sadiki, I am a young boy aged 21, born at Baraka, Fizi in DRC. I am the 7th in a family of 9 children. I was born during the war which started in 1996. Since then, I have been living as a refugee in Nyarugusu camp, in Tanzania.
Due to civil wars and conflicts which broke out in our country under the influence of rebel groups in the Eastern part, my parents took the decision to flee to Tanzania in 2015 to save my lives.
During conflict, as youth we have witnessed a bunch of challenges. Young boys were killed for no reason. We were abducted and forced to be child-soldiers. Our native villages burnt and many others were left with serious physical disabilities. Girls, on the other hand, were killed, kidnapped, raped and physically assaulted, rending them victims of HIV, trauma, and other vulnerabilities. The worst of all for me is that we have been confined to a refugee camp (once the largest in the world) called Nyarugusu with no exposure to outside world. The memories are enduring indeed! Despite all the challenges faced, but I did not stifle myself because I knew who I am and what I wanted to be in the future. So I pushed myself into my studies even if it was somehow challenging and enjoyed them  even though some people discouraged me. Now I am in form three at Lycee Secondary School and doing very well. At school, I like English, French, History and Geography with a focus in Civic. My intention is to become a globally recognized change-maker dedicated to tackling the human right abuses we are facing while rebuilding hope for lives of my fellow refugees who must fend for themselves due to generalized poverty, exploitation, and lack of peace. I have a strong expectation on the RYENET network in which I am an active member in and believe that it can make my dream comes true. It is my hope that young activists like me from all across the world will be able to join hand with the RYENET to help remove these kinds of inequalities and injustices young refugees are facing. I believe together we can change the world. Yes, we can make peace a reality!
Thank you.

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