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Seeds of Africa

yaar kwai

Yaar Kwai

What is a community without children? Children who could change the future for themselves, their children and their past. Our parents had to suffer and work hard to make our lives better. We weren’t brought up to live the material life, we were taught to value connections with others not with objects. That’s not how we were raised. We weren’t fed with a silver spoon or spoiled; we were lucky for the things we had and the life we lived. We had to escape from our motherland to live and to be raised in the home of the free; free of war and destruction, though we still had to suffer because America isn’t really “free”. Our parents had to give us the education they never had and the freedom they yearned for. The Sudanese community is the biggest refugee community in San Diego. Not only did our parents have to live a life of struggle, so did we. Some of our youth had gone through phases that either ruined their life or betrayed their parents. We have not been well as a community; we’ve been broken apart, separated, churches were getting smaller. America was destroying the youth’s purpose of coming here. All we had left was the refugee network and our almighty above, God.

Seeds of Africa began a few years back. We used to be “St. Luke’s Youth” but that changed to Seeds of Africa. Why? Because our youth leaders couldn’t support us anymore and transportation was difficult. We didn’t want to limit ourselves just to the church because being Seeds of Africa gives us chances to have more connections and opportunities, but still we are church affiliated. We than made a transition to the Say San Diego Sudanese youth center. Although it was a small space, it was our only choice. We also took this title because we didn’t just invite youths from Sudan, but from all over Africa with different religions because everyone is accepted in heaven and everyone is God’s child. Seeds of Africa began by Nicholas Beda, Joseph Aongo and our late brothers, Mark Gullaci and John Ako. We continue to meet every Friday at the Say San Diego Youth center and we hold bible studies and open mic. We also have a Seeds of Africa dance group. We want to expand to make a change in the world and the world’s perspective on Africa itself and the youth. Nothing is ever too late to try and do something good in the community. We have had different fundraisers like selling candy and car washes but they didn’t generate enough money. We had to ask the community for donations to help us. One of our annual community events is Parent Appreciation day. We wanted to thank our parents for their support in our lives and for just being there. We want to be heard. We want to expand, to do good things in the world and to have a voice. Luke 11:9 says “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”. Thank you and God bless.

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Category: #Youth, Children, & Families

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