English Translation

We did not know where this disease came from. We never knew if we would die or not. People became afraid, not knowing what was going on. That is the way it was. We as a family could not travel because everything was closed. This meant coming to the United States would not be possible because all the trips from the camps where we were in Africa, in a country called Tanzania, were stopped and all facilities were closed.

Other people and I really got scared, not knowing what is the way forward and where things even stood. It was a very confusing moment that we have never experienced. One thing I do remember is that when things kind of calmed down a bit, people were able to travel and life seemed to have some meaning. But still, we were not sure that traveling to the United States was okay.

We were afraid that we were either going to die or live, but we thank God for everything. If we never had faith in Him we would not be here today. We thank the government for all the hard work they have done in taking care of this disease in terms of us having vaccinations.

This disease made the whole world afraid. Things really changed like schools being closed, stores being closed, even churches were closed. At this point we never knew what to expect. We also never knew if we were going to come back again because people died, people got sick, to an extent that we have never seen. We had some people who died not because they were sick but because they lost loved ones. This caused unnecessary heartache and pressure to lose a loved one

The thing that was very interesting is that when I was given the vaccine, even at that time my five-year-old also had to get a vaccine. At that point I knew that this was a life saving moment for all of us.

And again, I thank God because I know He is on our side and the government as well, we thank them for everything they have done for us.

Swahili Transcription

Hatukujua ugonjwa huu ulitoka wapi. Hatukujua kamwe kama tutakufa au la. Watu wakaingiwa na hofu wasijue nini kinaendelea. Hivyo ndivyo ilivyokuwa. Sisi kama familia hatukuweza kusafiri kwa sababu kila kitu kilikuwa kimefungwa. Hii ilimaanisha kuja Marekani isingewezekana kwa sababu safari zote za kambi tulizokuwa Afrika, katika nchi inayoitwa Tanzania, zilisimamishwa na vifaa vyote vimefungwa.

Mimi na watu wengine tuliogopa sana, bila kujua ni njia gani ya kusonga mbele na mambo yalisimama wapi. Ilikuwa wakati wa kutatanisha sana ambao hatujawahi kupata. Jambo moja ninalokumbuka ni kwamba mambo yalipotulia kidogo, watu waliweza kusafiri na maisha yalionekana kuwa na maana fulani. Lakini bado, hatukuwa na uhakika kwamba kusafiri kwenda Marekani kulikuwa sawa.

Tuliogopa kwamba tutakufa au kuishi, lakini tunamshukuru Mungu kwa kila jambo. Kama hatungekuwa na imani Kwake tusingekuwa hapa leo. Tunaishukuru serikali kwa kazi kubwa waliyoifanya katika kutunza ugonjwa huu kwa sisi kupata chanjo.

Ugonjwa huu ulitia hofu dunia nzima. Mambo yalibadilika kweli kama shule kufungwa, maduka kufungwa, hata makanisa yalifungwa. Kwa wakati huu hatukujua la kutarajia. Pia hatukujua kama tungerudi tena kwa sababu watu waliokufa, watu waliugua, kwa kiwango ambacho sijawahi kuona. Tulikuwa na baadhi ya watu ambao walikufa si kwa sababu walikuwa wagonjwa bali kwa sababu waliopoteza wapendwa wao. Hilo lilisababisha maumivu ya moyo yasiyo ya lazima na shinikizo la kumpoteza mpendwa.

Jambo lililokuwa la kufurahisha sana ni kwamba nilipopewa chanjo, hata wakati huo mtoto wangu wa miaka mitano pia alilazimika kupata chanjo. Wakati huo nilijua kuwa huu ulikuwa wakati wa kuokoa maisha kwa sisi sote.

Na tena, namshukuru Mungu kwa sababu najua yuko upande wetu na serikali pia, tunawashukuru kwa yote waliyotufanyia.