PHOTOS: If you happen to needed to go away residence and will take only one souvenir, what wouldn’t it be? | KPCC – NPR Information for Southern California

Precious Stones

PHOTOS: If you happen to needed to go away residence and will take only one souvenir, what wouldn’t it be? | KPCC – NPR Information for Southern California

MDI Gem

October 29, 2022

PHOTOS: If you happen to needed to go away residence and will take only one souvenir, what wouldn’t it be? | KPCC – NPR Information for Southern California

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Possibly it is a piece of conventional clothes gifted by a father or mother. Or a bronze bowl used for spiritual ceremonies. Or a household recipe for a favourite dish.

These are all mere objects — however they don’t seem to be simply objects. A cherished souvenir can function a connection to your loved ones, your roots, your sense of id.

This sort of memento takes on new significance if it’s a must to go away your homeland and set off for a brand new nation and an unsure new life.

Clockwise from left: A Liberian woman's passport; incense stones from Yemen; a ceremonial cup and plate from an Indian village. — Clockwise from left: A Liberian lady’s passport; incense stones from Yemen; a ceremonial cup and plate from an Indian village.

Presently of unprecedented numbers of refugees — a report 27.1 million in 2021 — we wished to know: What valuable possessions are refugees taking with them? The photojournalists of The On a regular basis Initiatives interviewed and photographed eight refugees from across the globe. Listed here are the objects they stated give them consolation, solace and pleasure.

Editor’s word: You probably have a private story a couple of particular possession from your personal expertise or your loved ones’s expertise, ship an electronic mail with the topic line “Treasured objects” to [email protected] together with your anecdote and your contact info. We could embody your anecdote in a future submit.

For extra particulars on the lives of the 8 refugees profiled beneath, learn this story.

Rosa Gonzalez, born in Guatemala, holds a sign with the word "Xib'nel" from the K'iche' Mayan language she grew up speaking — loosely translated as "the fright, the terror." Gonzalez says this word sums up how she felt during the war in her country. She has no physical keepsakes to remind her of her childhood home but proudly speaks her language of K'iche': It is "fundamental to who we are." — Rosa Gonzalez, born in Guatemala, holds an indication with the phrase “Xib’nel” from the Okay’iche’ Mayan language she grew up talking — loosely translated as “the fright, the phobia.” Gonzalez says this phrase sums up how she felt in the course of the warfare in her nation. She has no bodily keepsakes to remind her of her childhood residence however proudly speaks her language of Okay’iche’: It’s “elementary to who we’re.”

Across the Arabian peninsula, people light scented stones like incense. "You light them on fire for a good smell," says Nader Alareqi, who left Yemen because of the civil war and now lives in Ecuador. When packing to leave in 2015 he brought incense stones made by his grandmother with a mixture of perfumes and scented leaves: "These are very special stones made with love." — Throughout the Arabian peninsula, individuals mild scented stones like incense. “You mild them on fireplace for a very good scent,” says Nader Alareqi, who left Yemen due to the civil warfare and now lives in Ecuador. When packing to go away in 2015 he introduced incense stones made by his grandmother with a mix of perfumes and scented leaves: “These are very particular stones made with love.”

"This passport reminds me of my past life, traveling across West Africa," says Rebecca Maneh Nagbe, known as Mama Sckadee. She fled Liberia's civil war in 2003 and came to a refugee camp in Nigeria but has been unable to obtain legal status to leave. In the camp, she has raised her granddaughter, whose mother left the country: "Angel has been my companion for 14 years. She is all I have." — “This passport jogs my memory of my previous life, touring throughout West Africa,” says Rebecca Maneh Nagbe, often known as Mama Sckadee. She fled Liberia’s civil warfare in 2003 and got here to a refugee camp in Nigeria however has been unable to acquire authorized standing to go away. Within the camp, she has raised her granddaughter, whose mom left the nation: “Angel has been my companion for 14 years. She is all I’ve.”

Extra credit

Visuals edited by Ben de la Cruz, Pierre Kattar and Maxwell Posner. Textual content edited by Julia Simon and Marc Silver. Copy modifying by Pam Webster.

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