My Biggest Decision

In may 2019, I made a decision to leave my country, Haiti, to go live in Brazil. Everything went well. When I arrived in Brazil, I didn't know anything about the country at all. I had no one waiting for me, and I went without even speaking their language. All I wanted was a better life. I'm young and have a full future with a lot of potential. To be able to adapt, I had to learn the language and the culture of that beautiful country. I ended up finding a job and I made friends who taught me the language and everything I needed to know.

I was happy at my job. It was a chicken company. I was in the cleaning part, like removing bones and the skin. I did my job very well. I was the only immigrant to work there. Everyone loved me and treated me like a member of their family. They said I was smiling a lot, and i often made jokes with them. They are very welcoming people. That's how I managed to express myself in Portuguese.

Suddenly, the corona virus appeared. Everything changed and I lost my job. I couldn't stay without working. There were bills to pay, so I had to create a few things to survive. I made dishes at home, like lasagna and seasoned meat, to sell them with friends in the company where I worked. With that, I was recognized by many people. Then, in November 2021, I learned of my father's death. I was devastated because he was everything to me. He encouraged me in everything. My biggest regret was not being able to see him one last time.

He was my great love. We told each other everything. There was no secret between us. But God called him, and he went away. After his death, I made the decision to come to the US because Brazil is very far from Haiti. At that time i couldn’t travel because tickets were too expensive. I didn’t have enough funds to go and come back. So I decided not to go to his burial, and I had to attend by video call. I made the decision to come to the US just to be a little bit closer to Haiti.

This way, I can go see my family whenever I want. It’s been three years since I have seen them. I didn't tell my family about my decision because I didn’t want to disappoint them. When you make such a decision, you have to expect either failure or success. But thank God it was a total success and I’m proud of myself. I made the decision on my own. It was my dream. I always heard that it was a country full of opportunities. If you know what you really want in life, well, you'll get it. Here I am in the US with so many dreams to realize. It was the biggest decision I have ever made. I do not regret having made it. I'm alive and I'll work to make my father proud of his daughter.

~

Farah Rejouis - Haiti