By Gabriel Karerangabo
I wanted to participate in the Voices of Refugee Youth research study because I want to know whether the refugee youth value school and their innate talents and if they have a vision for their future. For me, research is a study conducted on a subject with the purpose of discovering the reality.
I have seen how many issues refugee youth experience and helping them is something I am passionate about. In my experience of being a refugee youth, I saw that the refugee youth do not have hope for the future. This can cause them to consume alcohol and drugs, experience sexual abuse and early pregnancies. This troubled me and I had an idea to research refugee youth with the purpose to highlight what the life condition of refugee youth is really like. I started a Youth Development Association where youth could come and get entrepreneurial skills and counselling, but the association failed because they were not interested at all. From this situation it was not easy to know what I could do. I decided to conduct a simple research project on how refugee youth think about their life. To do this, I woke up early and went out without a destination, and when I saw a group of youth I joined them to talk. This was an opportunity for me to know about how these youth think and I started to think about how I could be their voice. This is why I wanted to participate in the Voices of Refugee Youth research study, because I was already interested in research for refugee youth and thinking about how to be their voice. I wanted to participate in the research study because it is an opportunity for me to learn more about refugee youth and I believe the research will help refugees.
To conclude the Voices of Refugee Youth research study is very important in the way that it notes problems encountered by the refugee youth and is a voice to look for possible solutions to make the youth shine. After all procedures are completed we are ready to see the refugee youth driving the world and being the voice for others. This is why I wanted to participate in the Voices of Refugee Youth research study.