Refugee builds life in Iowa, works for better Africa

I am a refugee full of compassion and determination for human rights.

I was a child soldier from the African country of Chad who experienced bitter life and wanted no longer any human being to go through what I experienced ­- torture, starvation, assassination and other crimes.

Granted status of refugee in Nigeria in 1995 and resettled in Sioux City in the middle of 1999 by the government, I entered into U.S.A. with 15 Naira, which is Nigerian currency and less than three cents. I could not speak English.

Beside those tasks, i was actively involved in my community in Sioux City. All my activities were to help Africans of having heart for others and help them to be useful for others.

After 18 months in Sioux City, I took risk to take my wife, Brigitte Toingar, and our two month daughter to University of Northern Iowa, where I earned my Bachelor of Science in 2004.

At UNI, I built a strong relationship with my fellow Africans and American families in Cedar Falls. Before finishing with my bachelor, I wrote my memoir, 'A Teenager in the Chad Civil War.” I was so grateful to Dr. Karen Agee who put all her talents to help me in creating an English edition of my memoir, and also her other great contributions to my life and second book published in 2014, 'Idriss Deby and the Darfur Conflict.”

In 2009, I produced my first documentary in two segments – coming to Iowa as a refugee, and 'Do's and Don'ts” in the USA. I am deeply thankful to the professors of law at Iowa University, the police of Cedar Rapids, the African Community and my American friends for their involvement in that documentary.

Coming to a new place without knowing its culture can easily cause damage to a newcomer or to the people in the community. Educating both new people in the community and people of that community is beneficial for both groups. This is one of the reasons that I organize events and volunteer to give speeches in different communities, universities and schools in Iowa.

This year I and Robin Song, another Iowa nonprofit organization, plan to install manual pumps to provide clean drinking water into Chadian villages with the support of corporate partner Hy-Vee.

This week, through Wake Up For Your Rights (501(C3)), I and the Committee for Ebola Treatment and Control are launching a fundraising campaign to help African countries affected by the deadly Ebola Virus.

Wake Up For Your Rights is inviting more volunteers and friends of compassion and justice in the world to join their efforts by visiting or donating at wakeupforyourrights.org.

l Esaie Toingar came to Iowa as a refugee in 1999, and continues to speak out on the issue of human rights in Africa. Comments: toingar@hotmail.com.