Jusuf — the migrant whose integrity truly amazed us
Early this December, the media in Velika Kladusa, as well as other media in Bosnia and Herzegovina and even beyond its borders, published the story of a young migrant Jusuf, who found a significant amount of money in Velika Kladuša and was determined to return it to its owner. Jusuf found the money in a small roll, without a wallet or any information about the owner, and the amount he found was higher than a minimal monthly wage in B&H. It was not possible to identify the owner, because in front of the pharmacy doors, where the money was found, there was no video surveillance. Considering all this, Jusuf could have kept the money without a problem, money he most certainly needs at this time.
This 23-year old Iraqi, whose real name is Sufyan but who is known to other migrants and locals as Jusuf, decided to find the owner of the money the moment he found the small roll in front of the pharmacy. However, when he went inside, he only saw a pharmacist behind the counter, who did not understand English and was unsure of the young Iraqi’s intentions. He needed to find someone who could understand him and help him with his goal — to return the money to its rightful owner. The entire confusion was aggravated by the fact that the money was not found in a wallet and that there were no identification documents. Therefore, Jusuf decided to withhold the information about the exact amount knowing that only the true owner would know the exact amount. With the help of the local radio station, this story got its happy ending: the owner was found and money returned. While sharing this story, Jusuf told us how he considers his actions to be perfectly normal, and he wouldn’t even accept the award that the owner intended for him.
First and foremost, Jusuf impressed us with his integrity and perseverance in finding the owner, when he himself was in a situation where no one would blame him if he simple kept the money. However, what particularly amazed us is that this young Iraqi, despite the path he is on and all of the negative experiences he has had, still remains true to his personal principals without losing faith in the goodness of the human race.
Jusuf holds a degree in civil engineering and before he escaped Iraq he worked for a humanitarian organization, which made wells in villages without access to drinking water. Jusuf’s father also works for an Iraqi humanitarian organization, while his mother is the directress of an elementary school. As he tells us, his parents raised him by the principles of Islam and taught him to always try his best to help people.
This text is only an introduction into our conversation with Jusuf or Sufyan, who shared with us a part of his refugee story. From his answers it is quite clear that this young Iraqi fully understands the situation of citizens of Velika Kladusa, as well as of other places through which the migrant route passes. What strikes us the most is that he is able to understand and find justification for people who have treated him and other migrants badly.
The message of this story is that we all should have more understanding towards each other, just as Jusuf shows understanding. A few days ago he contacted us from Italy. We hope that he will be successful in achieving his most important goal — building a good life for himself. We are extremely happy we got the opportunity to capture these moments of his life, just a few days before he left Velika Kladusa.