Dakari's Story
The following interview was conducted with a child of ten years who resettled in the United States at age eight. Interviewing children presents a unique challenge due to attention span and interest level—not to mention a lack of complete understanding about their own circumstances and inability to fully process trauma. We are appreciative to this child, Dakari, for speaking with us. While Dakari’s guardians have granted permission to use the interview, Dakari does not fully understand how it will be used; therefore in deference to their right to privacy, all names have been changed and the interview audio is not included.
S: Okay. To start off, Dakari, can you tell me where you were born?
D: In Uganda.
S: In Uganda? Do you know what city in Uganda?
D: Kyangwali.
S: Mm-hmm. Were you born in a hospital?
D: When I was born by a doctor.
S: Mm-hmm. Okay. And were you the first born of your family?
D: Yes.
S: What does your name mean?
D: Happiness?
S: That’s beautiful. Do you think it describes you? Are you happy?
D: [nods]
S: Yeah? Can you tell me about your family? How many people are there in your family?
D: Six.
S: Six? Who is there? Can you name everyone for me?
D: Mm-hmm. Me, Peter, Lily, Omari--
S: And your mom and dad? Yeah? Do you have grandparents?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Do they live here or do they live back in Uganda?
D: They live here.
S: Okay, good. Do you get to see them very often?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: What do you do when you see your grandparents?
D: I go to their house and play with my friends there.
S: Can you tell me about the friends that you have here in Pittsburgh? What do you like to do with them?
D: Hmm, play soccer.
S: Okay. Is that your favorite game to play?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Did you learn how to play soccer in Uganda?
D: [nods]
S: You played that a lot in Kyangwali?
D: [nods]
S: Is the school that you go to here a lot like the school in Uganda? No? How is it different?
D: Like, in Uganda, the school, they used to hit us. But this, they don’t.
S: Oh, they would hit you in the school, if you did something wrong?
D: [nods]
S: How did you get in trouble in Uganda?
D: Like, when you miss ten or five problems.
S: Oh, okay. So if you messed up your schoolwork, they would hit you?
D: [nods]
S: Ouch! That doesn’t sound nice. Do you like school a lot better now?
D: [nods]
S: Do you have recess at school?
D: Yes.
S: What’s your favorite subject?
D: Math.
S: Yeah? What would you like to be when you grow up?
D: A doctor.
S: A doctor! I think you’d be a good doctor. Okay. So, can you tell me what you like about living in America?
D: We have a lot of fun. And sometimes we sleep whenever we want.
S: Did you have a hard time sleeping in Uganda?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Why?
D: Because we were, like, go to school very early.
S: Did you have to walk a long way?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: How far did you have to walk to get to school?
D: Thirty minutes.
S: So when you got there, what did you study?
D: Math, but they don’t do like library.
S: Oh, no library? Did you have lots of books there, or not enough books?
D: Not enough.
S: Is there anything you miss about living in Uganda?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: What do you miss about it?
D: To play with my friends there.
S: Do you feel like your friends understood you better there than they do here?
D: [nods]
S: Are you friends with a lot of other Africans here, or are they mostly Americans?
D: Americans.
S: Mostly Americans? Do you have any friends that are Africans here?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: How do you get to know them?
D: We left them in Uganda.
S: Your friends here that are Africans, do you speak Swahili with them?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: So you still speak Swahili a good bit?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Do you think that you’ll always speak Swahili?
D: Mm, no.
S: No? Because you speak English very well too. When did you learn English?
D: When I first gone to school.
S: How old were you?
D: In Uganda?
S: Mm-hmm.
D: Like six.
S: Oh, you were six when you learned English. Was it hard for you to learn?
D: [nods]
S: Tell me, Dakari—do you know what “refugee” means?
D: [shakes head]
S: No? Did you know when you were living in Uganda that your parents were trying to find another place for you to live?
D: [shakes head]
S: You didn’t know that you might leave? When did you find out that you might leave Uganda?
D: When they gave us an invitation.
S: Okay. And what did you think when you got the invitation?
D: That we were going to America.
S: How did you feel about that?
D: Mm, good.
S: Were you excited?
D: [nods]
S: But you were sad to leave your friends?
D: [nods]
S: Were you a little bit scared?
D: [nods]
S: Did you know that you were going to have to take a plane ride?
D: [nods]
S: What did you think about the plane ride?
D: It was good.
S: It was good? Was it scary to be up in the sky?
D: [nods]
S: Your dad told me that when you got to Pittsburgh it was the middle of the night. Do you remember that?
D: Mm-hmm!
S: Tell me what it was like when you got off the plane and it was very cold and the middle of the night, and you came to your new house. Tell me how you felt about that.
D: First we went to my grandmother’s house and we went to sleep there.
S: Mm-hmm. And were you tired?
D: [nods]
S: Dakari, where do you think you want to live when you grow up? Do you want to stay in America, or do you want to go somewhere else?
D: Mm, stay in America.
S: Yeah, okay. Do you think you’ll ever want to go back to Uganda, to visit your friends?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: And what about the people that you left there? Are you hoping that they find somewhere else to go, that they also get an invitation?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Where do you think they might go?
D: Texas or Ohio, I don’t know.
S: If you could help them in some way, what would you do?
D: I would give them money.
S: If you had one million dollars all to yourself that you could do anything with, what would you do with it?
D: I would give them ten thousand dollars.
S: To do what with?
D: Anything they want.
S: What about the rest of it?
D: I give them to their kids.
S: Mm-hmm. Would you build a big house for your family to live in?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Would you like to live somewhere else in America, or do you want to stay in Pittsburgh?
D: Stay in Pittsburgh.
S: Yeah? You like it here? Do you like it when it snows?
D: No.
S: No? [laughs] Where would you like to go if you could go anywhere on vacation?
D: To my uncle’s house.
S: Where does he live?
D: In Texas.
S: Oh, okay. What do you like about your uncle’s house?
D: Sometimes it’s very hot and sometimes very cold.
S: Mm-hmm. So you like it when it’s hot? Does it remind you of Uganda?
D: It’s very hot there, and it doesn’t snow.
S: Can you tell me more about what Kyangwali was like?
D: It was very good.
S: It was very good, other than the school?
D: Yeah.
S: It was very big, right?
D: Yes.
S: And it took a long time to get anywhere.
D: Yes.
S: Did you have a car?
D: No.
S: So you had to walk everywhere—did you have a bike?
D: No. But I would like to have one.
S: You would like to have a bike? You don’t have a bike here either?
D: [shakes head]
S: Did people get sick a lot in Kyangwali?
D: Yes.
S: Yeah, your dad told me that not everybody could go to a hospital when they got sick. Did you ever get sick in Uganda?
D: Mm, a little bit.
S: What happened when you got sick?
D: They brought me some medicine.
S: So you always got better?
D: [nods]
S: That’s good. Okay. So, can you tell me—are you happy here in America?
D: Yes.
S: If you could change anything about your life here, what would you change?
D: I don’t know.
S: You don’t know? You wouldn’t change anything? You like living here with your mom and dad and your siblings?
D: [nods]
S: And you like it better than living in Uganda?
D: Mm, yes.
S: Do you feel safe?
D: [shrugs]
S: How do people treat you here?
D: Good.
S: Good? Well, that’s good—and nobody hits you, right?
D: [shakes head]
S: Is there anything else you want to tell me about yourself?
D: No.
S: Well, thank you for talking to me! I appreciate it.
D: Thank you.
[End of Interview]
S: Okay. To start off, Dakari, can you tell me where you were born?
D: In Uganda.
S: In Uganda? Do you know what city in Uganda?
D: Kyangwali.
S: Mm-hmm. Were you born in a hospital?
D: When I was born by a doctor.
S: Mm-hmm. Okay. And were you the first born of your family?
D: Yes.
S: What does your name mean?
D: Happiness?
S: That’s beautiful. Do you think it describes you? Are you happy?
D: [nods]
S: Yeah? Can you tell me about your family? How many people are there in your family?
D: Six.
S: Six? Who is there? Can you name everyone for me?
D: Mm-hmm. Me, Peter, Lily, Omari--
S: And your mom and dad? Yeah? Do you have grandparents?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Do they live here or do they live back in Uganda?
D: They live here.
S: Okay, good. Do you get to see them very often?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: What do you do when you see your grandparents?
D: I go to their house and play with my friends there.
S: Can you tell me about the friends that you have here in Pittsburgh? What do you like to do with them?
D: Hmm, play soccer.
S: Okay. Is that your favorite game to play?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Did you learn how to play soccer in Uganda?
D: [nods]
S: You played that a lot in Kyangwali?
D: [nods]
S: Is the school that you go to here a lot like the school in Uganda? No? How is it different?
D: Like, in Uganda, the school, they used to hit us. But this, they don’t.
S: Oh, they would hit you in the school, if you did something wrong?
D: [nods]
S: How did you get in trouble in Uganda?
D: Like, when you miss ten or five problems.
S: Oh, okay. So if you messed up your schoolwork, they would hit you?
D: [nods]
S: Ouch! That doesn’t sound nice. Do you like school a lot better now?
D: [nods]
S: Do you have recess at school?
D: Yes.
S: What’s your favorite subject?
D: Math.
S: Yeah? What would you like to be when you grow up?
D: A doctor.
S: A doctor! I think you’d be a good doctor. Okay. So, can you tell me what you like about living in America?
D: We have a lot of fun. And sometimes we sleep whenever we want.
S: Did you have a hard time sleeping in Uganda?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Why?
D: Because we were, like, go to school very early.
S: Did you have to walk a long way?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: How far did you have to walk to get to school?
D: Thirty minutes.
S: So when you got there, what did you study?
D: Math, but they don’t do like library.
S: Oh, no library? Did you have lots of books there, or not enough books?
D: Not enough.
S: Is there anything you miss about living in Uganda?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: What do you miss about it?
D: To play with my friends there.
S: Do you feel like your friends understood you better there than they do here?
D: [nods]
S: Are you friends with a lot of other Africans here, or are they mostly Americans?
D: Americans.
S: Mostly Americans? Do you have any friends that are Africans here?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: How do you get to know them?
D: We left them in Uganda.
S: Your friends here that are Africans, do you speak Swahili with them?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: So you still speak Swahili a good bit?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Do you think that you’ll always speak Swahili?
D: Mm, no.
S: No? Because you speak English very well too. When did you learn English?
D: When I first gone to school.
S: How old were you?
D: In Uganda?
S: Mm-hmm.
D: Like six.
S: Oh, you were six when you learned English. Was it hard for you to learn?
D: [nods]
S: Tell me, Dakari—do you know what “refugee” means?
D: [shakes head]
S: No? Did you know when you were living in Uganda that your parents were trying to find another place for you to live?
D: [shakes head]
S: You didn’t know that you might leave? When did you find out that you might leave Uganda?
D: When they gave us an invitation.
S: Okay. And what did you think when you got the invitation?
D: That we were going to America.
S: How did you feel about that?
D: Mm, good.
S: Were you excited?
D: [nods]
S: But you were sad to leave your friends?
D: [nods]
S: Were you a little bit scared?
D: [nods]
S: Did you know that you were going to have to take a plane ride?
D: [nods]
S: What did you think about the plane ride?
D: It was good.
S: It was good? Was it scary to be up in the sky?
D: [nods]
S: Your dad told me that when you got to Pittsburgh it was the middle of the night. Do you remember that?
D: Mm-hmm!
S: Tell me what it was like when you got off the plane and it was very cold and the middle of the night, and you came to your new house. Tell me how you felt about that.
D: First we went to my grandmother’s house and we went to sleep there.
S: Mm-hmm. And were you tired?
D: [nods]
S: Dakari, where do you think you want to live when you grow up? Do you want to stay in America, or do you want to go somewhere else?
D: Mm, stay in America.
S: Yeah, okay. Do you think you’ll ever want to go back to Uganda, to visit your friends?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: And what about the people that you left there? Are you hoping that they find somewhere else to go, that they also get an invitation?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Where do you think they might go?
D: Texas or Ohio, I don’t know.
S: If you could help them in some way, what would you do?
D: I would give them money.
S: If you had one million dollars all to yourself that you could do anything with, what would you do with it?
D: I would give them ten thousand dollars.
S: To do what with?
D: Anything they want.
S: What about the rest of it?
D: I give them to their kids.
S: Mm-hmm. Would you build a big house for your family to live in?
D: Mm-hmm.
S: Would you like to live somewhere else in America, or do you want to stay in Pittsburgh?
D: Stay in Pittsburgh.
S: Yeah? You like it here? Do you like it when it snows?
D: No.
S: No? [laughs] Where would you like to go if you could go anywhere on vacation?
D: To my uncle’s house.
S: Where does he live?
D: In Texas.
S: Oh, okay. What do you like about your uncle’s house?
D: Sometimes it’s very hot and sometimes very cold.
S: Mm-hmm. So you like it when it’s hot? Does it remind you of Uganda?
D: It’s very hot there, and it doesn’t snow.
S: Can you tell me more about what Kyangwali was like?
D: It was very good.
S: It was very good, other than the school?
D: Yeah.
S: It was very big, right?
D: Yes.
S: And it took a long time to get anywhere.
D: Yes.
S: Did you have a car?
D: No.
S: So you had to walk everywhere—did you have a bike?
D: No. But I would like to have one.
S: You would like to have a bike? You don’t have a bike here either?
D: [shakes head]
S: Did people get sick a lot in Kyangwali?
D: Yes.
S: Yeah, your dad told me that not everybody could go to a hospital when they got sick. Did you ever get sick in Uganda?
D: Mm, a little bit.
S: What happened when you got sick?
D: They brought me some medicine.
S: So you always got better?
D: [nods]
S: That’s good. Okay. So, can you tell me—are you happy here in America?
D: Yes.
S: If you could change anything about your life here, what would you change?
D: I don’t know.
S: You don’t know? You wouldn’t change anything? You like living here with your mom and dad and your siblings?
D: [nods]
S: And you like it better than living in Uganda?
D: Mm, yes.
S: Do you feel safe?
D: [shrugs]
S: How do people treat you here?
D: Good.
S: Good? Well, that’s good—and nobody hits you, right?
D: [shakes head]
S: Is there anything else you want to tell me about yourself?
D: No.
S: Well, thank you for talking to me! I appreciate it.
D: Thank you.
[End of Interview]