Congratulations to K.Saroja, winner of a copy of the next Global Book Club book! Your comments and insights are greatly appreciated – thank you for participating.
Question answered by Rebecca Nunn, Assistant Director of Administration at PTPI
5. How would you compare Deo’s experiences in New York City compared to his years growing up in Burundi? How about his return visits to Burundi?
In the first half of the book it goes back and forth between New York and when Deo was a child in Burundi. It surprised me how his experiences in New York were much more dire than they were as a child in Burundi. He was confronted by a culture that he knew nothing about, could not speak English and was battling sickness. Growing up, Deo’s family was well off by local standards; they had land, a home, and a nice herd of cattle. Deo worked very hard as a child, but he had a good support system of family and friends and was able to go to school.
In New York he had to fend for himself and did not have anyone but strangers to help him. I can imagine it was quite a shock for him to come to America, which was supposed to be a land of promise, only to find himself living on the street and relying on others to survive. When he started going to school and working for Partners in Health he found a better quality of life, but still felt that loneliness and guilt for leaving Burundi behind. When Deo returns to Burundi, he was outraged and embarrassed at what had become of Bujumbura and the disorganization of the city. On his long trip through the city and countryside, it was hard to read at times because you know he is reliving the terrible experiences of his past. When he gets to Kayanza, his adopted hometown, he seems at peace and realizes what he needs to do to start a clinic there. I found it so inspirational that Deo felt he needed to get back to New York right away after his trip to Burundi so he could start fundraising and speaking about starting the clinic.
The opinions expressed by PTPI staff and other book club members are entirely their own and are not necessarily the views of People to People International or that of PTPI’s Officers, Board of Directors and Board of Trustees.
Tags: Global Book Club, Strength in What Remains, Tracy Kidder
An unusual book, one that caused many flashbacks in my own mind. Deo’s youth in Burandi was probably similar to that of many youth in developing countries in chaos around the world. As I read of the horrors he faced as he grew older I continually asked myself how he could do it, find the strength to go on, physically and mentally. My mind wandered to the wars in Central America in the 1980’s, the continual murders and butchering that children witnessed on a daily basis. I thought of the Mexican events of late that are similar, mostly due to drug trade. I thought of the massacres in all the wars waging right now around the world, wars that subject our young women and men to atrocities beyond comprehension. And I thought of my own family’s roots in Ireland and their entry to New York, only to find that “Irish need not apply.” It takes so much spiritually, deep in the core of our beings, to survive this type of life event. Would coming to American change things for the better? Deo found NYC scary and horrifying and deadly but he didn’t give up and didn’t give in. He found people, or people found him, people willing to risk helping him even when he didn’t know how to ask or accept that help. Many refugees are not that fortunate and are lost to human trafficers, drugs and an early demise. Thank God Deo kept his dream and was able to realize it in the midst of such suffering. He risked much to return to his homeland but it seemed a catharsis of sorts that helped him heal. As I read of his trips back and forth between New York and Burandi I kept thinking of the cost of such travel. He was so fortunate to have friends who had resources and were willing to share those resources and walk with him through his darkest hours. He found it difficult to talk about what he had endured for so long, just as many of our youth in the military find it difficult when they return from witnessing similar horrors. Who can understand? Who can listen non-judgmentally? I cannot help but think, “It takes a village…”
I completely agree with Jan’s comments. Her comments are well thought out and real. Especially of our youth in the military finding it difficulty to adjust to the ‘Normal!’ life after witnessing so much of death and dying. I hope they get the help they need to deal with all those horrible memories.
For Deo growing up in Burundi was ‘natural and normal’ amongst his family and friends till the horror of genocide started. He remained innocent for a long time when compared to some of his friends. He was engrossed in his dreams of becoming a doctor and helping his people. When he arrived in New York he underestimated the practical difficulties he was just about to face. What were his expectations in a new world? I do not think he had any time to think about all that during his journey. He had just escaped being murdered/ killed if he had stayed in Burundi. He probably was still in shock when he arrived in New York alive in one piece. He had lot of disadvantages in New York. To start with language problem. Having no one to talk to or learn from. He learns lot of things by himself through observation and making his own mistakes. The great thing about Deo is his perseverance in improving himself and enduring all the difficulties in New York. With his never ending memories of genocide, not being able to sleep must have have been horrible. In spite of all this he determines to go back and forth between Burundi and New York to find his place and peace. Finally the process of healing starts when he started to build the clinic at Kayanza. He gave up his medical education at that time. His urge to help his people was so strong that he put his carrier on hold. Having said all this Deo in some way was lucky to run into Sharon and others who went out of their way to make his dream of building clinic in Kayanza a reality. How many refugees are so lucky?
Deo is great human being. He just suffered silently. Did not hold grudges. He rose above all and attained peace with in. Where did he draw his strength from? I strongly believe From ‘God’ with in.