قسر الغربة ،،، و إبداعات الأبناء ،،،

Quote: It seems almost impossible to come across a place so rural that one couldn’t even believe people used to live there? That was the impression I got when my father and I visited the village he was raised in as a child, Almanaseer, Sudan in northeast Africa. The moment we stepped foot there it was as if every living soul in the village disappeared into thin air. There was no movement or noise, nothing; all I heard was dead silence. I asked my father what happened to his home, and he told me that most people migrated to the cities. This was because the government began to neglect agriculture and almost all other fields in the economy, which, in effect, hurt the agriculture-based village and forced many of the farmers to move to the cities to find employment and a better life. Before our visit to the village, my father shared stories of his amazing childhood. He said that the whole place was blanketed with green; everywhere one looked one would see grass and trees of an electrifying green. The farms were bounteous, and even people that barely had money were living well because of the surplus of food. There was no problem with water because the village was located on a land similar to a peninsula. My father told me that everyone knew everyone, and, although many people were not related by blood, the village was a gigantic family. When I visited, I saw nothing but dry land and empty houses. After we left that day, I was disappointed about the village because it fell so short of my expectations. However, that day I was shocked again. My father told me that although his home was reduced to nothing but some empty houses and dry land, many doctors, engineers, teachers and college professors came out of the tiny village. The successful individuals that came out of the village lived through rough times back then; such as times when they had to study using a gas lamp during the night because electricity was not introduced to the area until 1986. Once I heard that, I contemplated on the obstacles some face. Even though one may not have the best life, they have the ability to succeed and move mountains if they have the desire to do so. Although I have not lived in this village nor have I personally experienced these hardships, I have come to respect the achievements of my parents and extended family and I’ve been inspired to succeed in attaining my educational goals and my entire life. This experience has always been one of the few influences that have pushed me to do the best I can in any endeavor. This memory of a simple visit has been the driving force that has inspired me to shoot for the stars.