I know that in the United States one earns and one spends, but if I have some money left, it will be of great help to send to the family. When I arrive I have to find someone to help me, there is always someone who helps you. Every day I encourage myself and I don’t allow myself to get depressed. As long as one has life and health, one must continue.
Jhon*, 25 years old, Cameroonian
Taken in San Vicente, Panama.
I come from Cameroon and I am crossing America to reach the United States. My family doesn’t know I’m here.
I spent six days in the Darien jungle. For me this has been very painful because I grew up in a system where you have to help people to survive, and now on the way I saw people dying and I couldn’t help. This has been the hardest for me. Sometimes you find someone crying who can’t go on, can’t get up and is so tired they don’t want to keep trying. If I had to give someone advice, I would tell them not to see this jungle as just an adventure.
In the jungle, around me, I saw at least 500 people. I started walking alone and then I joined a group of Haitians who helped me a lot. I went all the way with them. We were a group of almost 100 people, we didn’t walk all the time together because some were faster and others slower, but at certain points we stopped until we saw all the familiar faces and so on. Along the way we helped a Kenyan woman who came from Eritrea and had physical difficulties to follow the path.
I got to spend up to three days without eating well, I only ate peanuts. I knew I wouldn’t die because peanuts give me energy and because I always found someone to share with me, so I also shared what little I had. In my case, I think it was key to have walked in a group and to have supported each other. When we finally managed to cross into Panama, I was happy to know that after so much pain and effort, at least we made it, even the Kenyan woman we helped.
Now I have to continue alone. I came to the Doctors Without Borders health post for a general check-up. I have some mosquito bites and body discomfort, I spent several days with wet clothes and had to drink river water. There is still a long way to go, but I am sure that better times will come.
*fictitious name for privacy reasons