From My Diaries in America A Conference and a Job Seeker

Yemenat

Ahmed Saif Hashed

Holda is an activist interested in human rights and religious freedoms. She studied at a university in Hong Kong, China. She uses her platforms to raise awareness about issues of persecution and support those affected. I don’t know much more about her than this information.

She reached out to me through a short message on my phone. I didn’t respond as I should have to her first message. I informed my friend to let her know that my priority was my treatment and recovery, and then we lost contact for a few weeks.

My health was the most important thing. I waited over a month and twenty days until I could visit the doctor, followed by appointments, tests, and treatment for some of my complaints, while deferring the rest to an unspecified future.

The treatment and care here for someone in a vulnerable position start with an outpatient clinic and end with the unknown. Between the clinic and the hospital, there are many appointments, and the wait can be long, requiring a lot of patience. In the meantime, my options are limited, and my condition does not allow me to endure much longer. There is a gap I cannot bridge; therefore, I decided to participate in the conference, hoping to find another option or a job that might alleviate my growing difficulties and depleting patience.

The decision to attend was not without its audacity. If I had weighed it with caution and precision, I would not have participated, nor would I have sought an option to ease my situation. My participation felt like embarking on a journey without provisions or water—traveling on a rainy day on a slippery road, with low visibility, accompanied by anxiety, uncertainties, and precautions.

The challenges are many: the language barrier, the