A Man From Tanzania: HiStory
Peace and blessings everyone!
Meet 28 year old Khaled Shabani an African refugee born in Tanga, Tanzania. Khaled has had an amazing life journey thus far, and has given me his blessing to share some of it with you. Khaled describes Tanzania and Africa, as a marvelous place filled with life, beauty, spirituality and culture. Being from Tanzania has shaped him into the person he is today. As a young child, Khaled lost both parents, and aided in taking care of his siblings. It has always been important to him that his family was taken care of as much as possible. Despite corruption from certain African leaders, he still misses home and his family back in Tanzania.
In 2017 Khaled’s life took a turn for the worst, when he and his friend were attacked in Tanzania. They suffered severe injuries, and Khaled was left in a coma for two weeks with doctors not knowing whether he’d pull through. He suffered trauma to the head and face, where he received multiple stitches. Miraculously, he survived through the grace of Allah, and made a full recovery. He has been left with the memories of the dreadful attack through the scars on his face, which he embraces.
Khaled is a devout Muslim who is passionate about helping others. He moved to Cape Town, South Africa, where he worked as a contract firefighter, before being accepted as a US refugee. He describes his time working with the South African fire department, as some of the best moments of his life. Khaled had certain struggles such as racism, and unequal pay while working as a foreigner. Regardless of having more qualification over White coworkers, he was not seen as equally qualified to receive the pay he deserved. He made a monthly wage of what one White South African would make in week. However, in spite of this, he still loves South Africa. He also has a talent for styling hair and worked as a barber in Cape Town.
Khaled is now building his new life journey in the U.S. and hopes to continue on with his firefighting work in the future. He is eager to live a life full of charity, God, and positivity.
I am thankful that Khaled was open to sharing some of his story with me, and he thanks you all for reading through. Every refugee has their own unique story, some more painful than others. I have spoken to, and happily made friends with, many African refugees and immigrants who have had amazing and heartbreaking experiences throughout their journey. I believe it’s important they not be looked down on, but accepted into our society instead.
Fun facts: Khaled can fluently speak 3 languages, Kiswahili, Arabic, and English
One of Khaled’s favorite Kiswahili proverbs is, “Haraka haraka, haina baraka”: Haste makes waste. Literally meaning: Hurry hurry has no blessings.
"Afya ni bora kuliko mali". Heath is better than wealth.
"Baada ya dhiki faraja." After hardship comes relief.
"Baada ya dhiki faraja." After hardship comes relief.
"Kuishi kwingi ni kuona mengi." To live long is to see much.
Tanzania fun facts: Mount Kilimanjaro is the Tallest Mountain in Africa (located in East Africa) and is the prominent feature in the famous opening scene of The Lion King.
There are over 100 languages spoken in Tanzania, however the official language is Swahili, which originates from the Bantu people of East Africa.
Lake Tanganyika is the Second Largest Lake in the World.
Tanzania is Home to Distinctive and Delicious Cuisine.
Tarangire National Park is Home to Unique Tree-Climbing Lions.
The Beaches of Zanzibar, Tanzania are unlike anything ever seen.
Nearly 30 Percent of Tanzania is National Parks
Check out: https://www.safaridrive.com/post/10-amazing-facts-about-tanzania
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