My story

We are provided with limited facilities and are bound to certain boundaries. We were not allowed to go out of the camp. They provided food stuff every fifteen days and were limited. In bigger families the given food did not last for that period and the stuff they provide was third class. I have never seen hygienic food when I was in camp. The only good thing in the camp was education. There was a school up to class ten, CARITAS used to provide everything for the students, like books, pens, begs etc. I was enrolled in that camp school, and spend almost 10 years to get high school degree.
About the housing, I still remember we have plastic roof with the bamboo pole small hut. When there is big wind we have to hold the four corners. No electricity, cooking in firewood, open bathroom, hot and humid climate, and every single thing was challenging. I know after having this all tension my father was so depressed, He tried a lot to back up the past life. With the limited rights being refugee we are not allowed to explore to outside environment, which plays great role suicide of many innocent refugee. Lots of health issue, lack of hygienic food and proper nutrition killed lots of children and old people. There was no any points to be happy, all parts of life was like open door, many young boys and girls suicides. For refugee there was no way to be get rid from that situation. In order to earn little money we used to work as a servant in village.
In high school we were taught in our own school which was build inside our camp by bamboo and thatch. We were taught with the curriculum of English, Nepali and Dzongkha. Teacher were all Bhutanese refugee. It was very challenging to shift attitudes and expectations for those refugees who have spent so much of their lives in refugee camps.
As we were done with our high school we need lot of money for collage which was not able to paid by us. CARITAS NEPAL used to provide only 50% of our college expenditure so most students were not able to get their higher education. My mom work so hard for my higher study. She went on village side doing their fields works everyday and earn a little money. She saved all those money for my study so luckily I got chance to study. Some days especially on weekend I used to go on village side too and used to earned some money which I used for buying books and school utensils. I used to ride bicycle for an hour to get to my school which is really difficult. Darkness appeared on my every results and starts. I was not able to aced anything just whisper everyday and lamp less everywhere. Time and time our family cried together.
On my teen age I used to play marble wearing only shorts, go for fishing and swimming in rivers. My mom used to scold me a lot thinking I will be injure and be hurt. But I was a child I don't like simply sitting at home so I used to run out of house with my friends for playing and all. I used to feel more interesting when it rain, at that time I used to get out of home to play soccer. When I start playing with my friends I used to forget all my pain and sorrow. But when I get back home again I feel bad seeing my mom's sadness. We spend our almost seventeen years of terrible and unexplainable life. No matter what we used to share our feeling among our family and try to stay happy.
Who knows what will happen tomorrow? It was almost 6pm, I was inside my bedroom doing my school works. My mom was doing some kitchen works, two of my sisters were playing outside at same time I heard crowded sounds and screaming. I recently get out of the house. I saw people running caring their stuff towards jungle screaming and crying. Children were lying on the floor. Moms holding their babies, praying god for helps, “nothing left all gone” people were shouting. As soon as I get out my house was caught by fire. I harry up to get my mom out of the kitchen and my sisters out from playing ground. We ran towards jungle which was near by my hurt. Everything was destroyed by fire, thanks god I was able to save my family. Almost 10,000 huts were destroyed and almost all people were injured. We were already refugee, there comes next refugee on top of our refugee. People are born to live but we were living by dying.
Thousands have lost not only their home but their belongings, including foods, cloths, school, books and cooking utensils. It was not known whether that fire was an accident. The bitter divisions within our refugee community proceed in the process of moving to western countries which have offered to resettle. But some are still holding out for a return to Bhutan because they thought this would legitimize what we are call Bhutan's ethnic cleansing. They have concern that they have lost their citizenship in Bhutan and this will happen to them again. Most think they will get new life and new education and will be out of poverty so they choose for third country resettlement.
A devastating fire was a disaster and an absolutely traumatic event. We lived like 5-6 days in jungle in open ground, no roof, no food, no hope just nothing. After 6 days we made small plastic tent to be safe from sun and rain. We lived almost 4 months in jungle making small plastic tent, Foods were provided by different organizations but the days were horrible. Hot sun during the days heated the plastic roof and winds and heavy rains all nights brings no sleep. Scarcity of water and out of bathroom was main reasons of getting sick. Medical was provided but was not sufficient. Death of old and babies bring sadness on all families. Most were injured by the bites of snakes and bugs and were not treated well. My mom used to cry everyday saying “ I have nothing to feed my children” and I used to advise her saying we need nothing but your love. We cried a lot, we hate our self and our poverty.
After all we decided to choose third country resettlement which was organize by International Organizations for Migration (IOM). We started our process to resettle in the United States of America thinking we will be out of poverty. Caring lots of hope and desire, thinking about new future we move towards new country. Finally we are success to resettle in this new country which change our almost everything. New study, new place, new thought and desire and feel like new world.
We first landed on New York, and spent one day on hotel. .Every thing was different, new place, new people, new food and finally new language. I was kind of scared and nervous seeing all computer systems. It was difficult for me to understand tongue of an American.