by Derrickson
My name is Derrickson and I have a long story to tell. But to cut it short, I will just say that my journey to the United States of America was the scariest moment of my life. I was 16 years old when I lost my dad. I lived with my friend’s parents for three years, along with my little sister who is 7 years of age. I had to drop out of school because of my money situation, and I was on the street for a while trying to survive.
My friend and I, along with my friend’s elder brother, decided to join a program that was traveling to Guyana. So we crossed 14 countries. The scariest part was in Colombia, where we crossed the ocean for nine hours on a small boat to Panama. There, we spent three days in the jungle, just trying to find our way out. It was a hard journey. I saw people dying with no food or water, drinking from the stream to survive. I am glad I made it to the USA—I am now in Oakland. I have my high school diploma and have been in Oakland, which is like a home to me. I am happy to be at Covenant House, where the people are lovely. It’s a dream come true after all I have been through.
All I can tell my fellow people out there is that your current situation is not your final destination. Good things happen to those who wait, so don’t rush to get crushed.
Thank you,
Derrickson
