In Search of a Better Life
GEORGE felt desperate. He could not get enough
food for his family. At the same time, neighbors were getting sick, and
some appeared to be starving. A few hundred miles to the south, however,
lay a richer country. ‘I’ll move abroad, find a job, and then have my
family join me,’ he thought.
Patricia also dreamed of a new life abroad. She
had no work and few opportunities. She and her boyfriend decided to
travel from Nigeria to Algeria, on their way to Spain, unaware of how
harsh the journey across the Sahara Desert would be. “I was pregnant,”
she said, “and I was determined to give my child a better life.”
Rachel wanted a new start in Europe. She had lost
her job in the Philippines, and relatives assured her that domestic work
was plentiful abroad. So she borrowed money for the plane fare and said
farewell to her husband and daughter, promising them, “We won’t be
separated for long.”
It is estimated that more than 200 million people
like George, Patricia, and Rachel have moved abroad in recent decades.
Although some have fled from wars, natural disasters, or persecution,
most have moved for economic reasons. What problems have migrants faced
in their new land? Do all find the better life they seek? How do
children fare when a parent leaves in search of a better income?
Consider the following answers to these questions.
Source:Awake Magazine
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