The Khadij family were an absolute pleasure to have met. Maround and Noha have four beautiful children, Joseph the Accountant, Fedi the Pharmacist, Charlie the Engineer and Georgette the Midwife. I enjoyed my conversations with the whole family, but Georgette captured my heart. At 20 years old, this young woman is what gives me faith in humanity. We discussed at length the social issues arising from nearly two million refugees in an already resource-poor country, we discussed the differences but also the similarities between faiths. Most incredibly we discussed the human reflex to judge. Certain cultures have certain characteristics. As a majority, the Aussies drink beer, the Spanish drink lots of red wine, and the Americans do everything BIG. But what we tend to do is stereotype or generalise people because of their faith. We chatted about this in relation to a program she was involved in and little did I know she contemplated our thoughts for days. When I left, she said, “You’re right, we should not generalise and we should accept each person as an individual,” and she thanked me for helping her realise that. What? I thought this woman had broadened my eyes with her open heart and honest and frank views on life. It just goes to show that real conversations with people, where you’re honest and true, can have an impact on you or on them. I am thankful to have met this wise young woman whose contribution to her country and this world I’m sure will not go unnoticed as the compassion in her heart can only be a blessing for all humanity.
The Unlikely Pilgrim 