Sierra Leone Immigrant Pursuing The American Dream by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Hall
July 10, 2020
The Sierra Leone Civil War was a conflict between the rebels of
the Revolutionary United Front and the Sierra Leone Government that
lasted over ten years. This conflict would prove to be one of the
most tragic events in history, resulting in the deaths of between 50
and 300 thousand and the displacement of over 2.5 million.
Numerous atrocities were committed including mass civilian murder,
the drafting of child soldiers, intense violence and rape.
It was a desperate time for millions of people. Life-altering
decisions had to be made by those fleeing the violence; decisions
that could put the safety of their families and themselves in
jeopardy.
“The rebels from Liberia spread to Sierra Leone,”
said Personnel Specialist 1st Class Patrick Mbayoh, a first
generation Sierra Leone immigrant. “It started in the remote parts
of the country, but the war eventually spread to Freetown, the
capital city, where I lived in 1996. I was biding my time, hoping
that the war would not come to Freetown. When the war finally came,
I knew it was time to get out.”
Mbayoh spent every day, in
Sierra Leone, living in fear of the next shooting or the next
attack. Attacks that could happen at any place at any time.
July 2, 2020 - Personnel Specialist 1st Class Patrick Mbayoh, assigned to the
"Kestrels" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137, looks up
and administration report aboard the aircraft carrier USS
Nimitz (CVN 68) that is with the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)
Carrier Strike Groups conducting dual carrier operations in
the Indo-Pacific as the Nimitz Carrier Strike Force. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Hall)
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“It was guerrilla warfare,” said Mbayoh. “We called them rebels,
but now, I think we would call them terrorists. Sometimes they would
have military type clothing. Sometimes they would be in civilian
clothing, but they lived in town among the civilian populations. It
was difficult to tell if they were rebels, and we wouldn’t know
until they were given the order to shoot. It was dangerous.”
Many refugees fled across the border of Sierra Leone to settle in
Guinea. Mbayoh said he and his wife worked together with a group of
families to make the journey to Guinea where they hoped to escape
from the war.
The displacement of refugees left them exposed
to horrible living conditions where many were lost or killed.
“I was greatly affected by the war. I lost my mom and three
sisters,” said Mbayoh. “My sisters died from various ailments from
living in the bush and my mom was shot. I have a brother that is
still missing to this day. We believe that he is probably dead, but
we never found a body. All of this happened during the war.”
Mbayoh explained that his mother was killed even after fleeing
Sierra Leone to Guinea. Many refugees were targeted by rebels and
were killed in settlements in Guinea.
Refugees from countries
affected by wars and other disasters work with the United Nations
and other host countries to find a safe place to resettle them.
Mbayoh said he worked with an ambassador in Guinea to find a
country where he could resettle with his wife.
“Everyone
wants to come to America,” said Mbayoh. “Another country isn’t even
a choice. If someone said, ‘You can go to America,’ then you would
go to America. It was exciting to find out that I was going to
America, but I also had some anxiety. I didn’t believe it was
actually going to happen until I got off the plane in America.”
Mbayoh said there were some initial challenges after arriving in
the U.S. Before they left Guinea, he and his wife were given an
orientation and materials to help them prepare for the move.
After arriving in Brooklyn, New York in 1998, Mbayoh was
sponsored for one month. He said housing and food were provided with
the expectation that he would find employment and eventually be able
to support himself.
“The first place I worked was McDonald’s.
Growing up in Sierra Leone I was used to eating rice. If I got three
meals in a day, then rice was every meal. It was different from what
I was used to. It was interesting getting used to that.”
Moving to the U.S. gave Mbayoh the opportunity to pursue a life-long
dream.
July 3, 2020 - Personnel Specialist 1st Class Patrick Mbayoh, assigned to the
"Kestrels" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137, proudly
with an American flag draped over his shoulders aboard the
aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) that is with the USS
Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Carrier Strike Groups conducting dual
carrier operations in the Indo-Pacific as the Nimitz Carrier
Strike Force. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Hall)
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“When I first got to America my number one goal was to go to
college,” said Mbayoh. “Being in America gave me the opportunity to
go to college. I never would have been able to go to college in
Sierra Leone because it was too expensive. Every level of school you
attend in Sierra Leone requires payment. Kindergarten to university
requires payment and it is expensive. Many people end up not
finishing school because of the cost.
“Finishing grade school
was a huge accomplishment but it was difficult to see how to proceed
after that and obtain a higher education and it seemed impossible”,
added Mbayoh. “When I moved to America it seemed like my dream might
be possible.”
Mbayoh attended college for one semester while
he worked at McDonald’s. He said he did not understand the financial
aid system clearly when he signed up for classes and was not aware
that he would have to pay the loan back.
“The counselors
tried to explain that I did not have to pay it back until after I
finished school,” said Mbayoh. “I did the math and figured out that
I would owe a lot of money by the time I finished the degree and
that discouraged me.”
Mbayoh said there wasn’t a way to
support his family comfortably and attend school. He spent a lot of
time walking around thinking about how he could accomplish his goal
of earning a college education.
“It was when I was walking
around that I walked into a Navy recruiter’s office,” said Mbayoh.
“When I went to the recruiter he told me I could go to college
wherever I was stationed. He said that even on a ship they would
have college courses available to me. I joined the Navy in September
of 2000.”
Mbayoh said his focus throughout his 19-year career
has been to attend college. He said he has been able to earn a
bachelor’s and a master’s degree while he served as an active-duty
Sailor.
His focus and commitment to his goals have allowed
him to achieve goals he never thought were possible.
“When I
was in Africa, I never thought that I would end up in the greatest
Navy in the world. When I walk around the ship, I walk around with a
heart full of appreciation for what I have been given.”
Mbayoh gained his American citizenship in 2003. He and his wife have
a child and live in Lemoore, California. Mbayoh hopes to one day
retire from the Navy and go back to school to gain his PhD.
“America is a place that is full of possibilities. You have to focus
on what you want to accomplish and it will be possible. There is
help to be found for whatever you want to do. In America, you can
accomplish anything you want as long as you don’t give up.”
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