Sept. 29, 2009, I left for Nairobi, Kenya. Yes, it was my first trip to the continent of Africa and I remember being too excited to venture out to one of my dream lands. I took the famous 5 star airline (Qatar airline) and was patient enough to sit down along the window for 5 hours
bound for Doha, Qatar. I was amazed by the very hot temperature when I arrived at Doha (that’s why its in the middle east!). The long wait for my flight to Nairobi was agonizing! Staying awake and kicking for ten hours proved to be very difficult…really, it was. But as I sit down on the waiting lounge of the Doha International Airport—I discovered the true meaning of affiliation—I met so many Filipinos also waiting for their flights. Truly, Filipinos bond when they are in foreign lands. I met this really nice young lady, outspoken and active who was bound for Tunizia, Italy. She narrated out of trust all her plans, her hardships (for leaving her children) and her marital problems. I also met this amazing OFW who shared about his “Napakasakit Kuya Eddie” type of story. His wife apparently left him for another man while he was in the middle east working his spirit out. Admirable too were the group of Filipino young men who were bound for Nigeria for a six months construction work. Not knowing what will lie ahead of them after six months—they took the courage and the guts to leave for Africa. One OFW even shared to me how he struggled to raise $75 (US Dollars) for his baon. And of course, Tita Rose who was bound for Paris. She is a resident now in the land of fashion trying to live her life alone (she apparently forgot to get married because of her being the breadwinner of the family). As I listen to their life stories, I suddenly felt the emotional struggle of our OFW’s. I saw in their eyes varieties of emotions…so deep and so pressing…. We separated after a long wait forgetting even to get our contact
addresses or numbers. Although I knew we would all survive---but—that encounter truly made me appreciate our OFW’s…despite of the hardships and the difficulties—their love for their families overpowers everything. I just hope that one day---our kababayans will not have to leave the country and suffer so much just to provide a decent life for their families.
bound for Doha, Qatar. I was amazed by the very hot temperature when I arrived at Doha (that’s why its in the middle east!). The long wait for my flight to Nairobi was agonizing! Staying awake and kicking for ten hours proved to be very difficult…really, it was. But as I sit down on the waiting lounge of the Doha International Airport—I discovered the true meaning of affiliation—I met so many Filipinos also waiting for their flights. Truly, Filipinos bond when they are in foreign lands. I met this really nice young lady, outspoken and active who was bound for Tunizia, Italy. She narrated out of trust all her plans, her hardships (for leaving her children) and her marital problems. I also met this amazing OFW who shared about his “Napakasakit Kuya Eddie” type of story. His wife apparently left him for another man while he was in the middle east working his spirit out. Admirable too were the group of Filipino young men who were bound for Nigeria for a six months construction work. Not knowing what will lie ahead of them after six months—they took the courage and the guts to leave for Africa. One OFW even shared to me how he struggled to raise $75 (US Dollars) for his baon. And of course, Tita Rose who was bound for Paris. She is a resident now in the land of fashion trying to live her life alone (she apparently forgot to get married because of her being the breadwinner of the family). As I listen to their life stories, I suddenly felt the emotional struggle of our OFW’s. I saw in their eyes varieties of emotions…so deep and so pressing…. We separated after a long wait forgetting even to get our contact addresses or numbers. Although I knew we would all survive---but—that encounter truly made me appreciate our OFW’s…despite of the hardships and the difficulties—their love for their families overpowers everything. I just hope that one day---our kababayans will not have to leave the country and suffer so much just to provide a decent life for their families.To be continued! watch out for my diary about my kenya adventure!
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