George Kun is a refugee from Liberia who escaped his physical and mental pain living in refugee camps in Africa by coming to the United States. The International Club decided that its main goal this year is to raise money to help the suffering refugees. To achieve their goal, the International Club members have initiated a fundraising activity to sell care packages to reduce students’ stress during exam week. All proceeds will be donated to help refugees. In addition, the club wants to raise awareness of the plight of refugees. Toward that end, club member and Lasso Online editor Rabita Aziz interviewed Mr. Kun. The following is her story. 

By Rabita Aziz (January 25, 2004)
 

"They told my friend to take off his clothes, and told me to go away. I didn’t, and they threatened that they would kill both of us. They shot him in the leg and I started running. I heard them shooting, and when I turned around, I saw him dead on the ground." George Kun was 13 years old when he witnessed his friend being shot to death in Liberia. This was in 1990, the same year his father was killed for being an employee of the old government of Liberia. His life as a refugee began two years later, when he and his mother fled to Danane. The conflict in Liberia, which forced thousands of Liberians to live as refugees in nearby countries Danane and Ghana, started on an ethnic basis. There are many tribes in Liberia and 16 languages. The conflict occurred between the Gao & Manor, and the Krhn. In the 1980’s, the president at that time, Samuel Dae, targeted the Gao & Manor. There were reports of his administration burying 1,000 Gao and Manor babies in 1985.

Mr. George Kun, a refugee from Africa

 Around the late 80’s, Charles Taylor became president. During his administration, the Gao and Manor seeked revenge on the Krhn. They set up checkpoints around the country, similar to those in Palestine. At these checkpoints, they would ask what a person’s nationality was, and if they were Gao or Manor, they would be killed. Even though Kun and his friend were not of the Gao and Manor, his friend was killed because he had forgotten his identification card. Kun and his friend were traveling from their city to another, in search of food. Kun’s friend had forgotten his card, and so he was killed on the spot. Kun is of the Kru tribe. 

In 1996, Kun and his mother abruptly moved as the fighting intensified. They boarded the Russian-made ship Bulk Challenger. They didn’t know where they were going, since they were refused entry into Togo and Côte d’lvoire. He and his friends decided to then go to another refugee camp in Danane, where there were seemingly more opportunities for students. "This decision was the worst mistake of my life, but also one that strengthened my endurance through the very long days and nights from 1996-1997," said Kun. Although his mother didn’t want him to go, peer pressure took over his mind and he went anyway, although he didn’t know anyone in Côte d’lvoire, Danane. In a story he wrote for Refujee International, Kun wrote, "I felt awful, troubled, and saddened. I felt I had betrayed her; my mother, and I had struggled through the heat of the war. I stood by her side, and would do anything, take any job, including collecting decomposed bodies in exchange for food rations. Now, I was deserting her because of peer pressure and hope for a better life."

George Kun’s life in Danane was even harder than his refugee life in Ghana. On his first day, he and his friends were photographed by the UNHCR and officially received their refugee status. This meant that now they could receive food rations from the UNHCR. Refugees received their measly food rations around the 15^th of each month. Kun and his nine friends finished their ration within the first two weeks. After that, they would beg strangers for money to buy bananas and peanuts. He sometimes slept without having eaten. "It was the worst experience of my life; it was humiliating and degrading. I would count the days until the next distribution." Sometimes they would climb up papaya trees to get the fruit. Protection was not the best in the UNHCR camp, and so sometimes he was beaten up by Ivorians. He also became greatly ill from malaria at this time in the refugee camp. He could not even get up, he said. Of course, he couldn’t get medical attention because he had no money. "I was slowly dying of hunger and illnesses as my mother feared. Miraculously, a friend of a relative recognized me and offered me life-saving help."

Kun went back to Ghana, where his mother pooled all their money together and begged her friend in the United States to extend him an invitation. He was allowed a visa and arrived in America in 1997 at age 20. "It was difficult to believe that I was finally free. It was surreal to believe that I would not have to worry about starving to death." He said that he was amazed to see all the cars and buildings. To him, America was very quiet and peaceful. He met with a Catholic sister in Trenton, New Jersey, who helped Kun prepare for his asylum case. He traveled to Newark for his interview, and was granted asylum.

Later on, he met a Liberian in his neighborhood and told him that he hoped to begin his education again in America. This gentleman took him to Young Scholar’s Institute, where he received the recommendation that he should apply to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He was accepted, and his host gave him enough money to get on the Greyhound and arrive in Decorah. He had $10 in his pocket. He didn’t realize that he had to buy books in order to take classes, but the International Student Office loaned him some used books. His roommate, Mark Juel, who greatly helped him, even did his laundry for him because he had no money. 

Kun eventually graduated from Luther College. He even spent a year studying at the University of Nottingham in England with 12 other students. He worked at a nursing home for 16 hours a day to raise enough money to go to England. He finished his master’s degree at the American University, School of International Service in D.C. He currently helps refugee workers in the field in Africa. He also writes articles and editorials for different publications. He has been interviewed on BBC news, the Fox News Channel, and has done three interviews for the Canadian Broadcast Corporation. He has also spoken on ABC radio.

"I want to make a mark and help people," he said. In the future, he wants to go back to Liberia, and run for public office. He would like to become the president some day and help the thousands of people who have suffered from cruelty for years. Listening to his story of hardship and turmoil, and his determination to achieve a better life, this reporter is sure he will achieve his goal some day. 

If you want to read George Kun’s story in his own words, visit http://www.refugeesinternational.org/cgi-bin/ri/other?occ=00704. George Kun is 2003’s McCall-Pieraoli Fellow of Refugees International.