The Hakim family -- Viola, Margreat, Emma, Dominic,
and Ronnie
Photo: Kingwood Christian Church |
CWS Refugee Stories from Across the Decades:
Margreat Hakim, Sudan -- 2001
Already widowed by Sudan’s brutal civil war, Margreat Hakim was forced from her village late one night in 1996. Wakened by the sounds of gunfire and neighbors screaming, she ran with her three children, then ages 3 through 6, to safety in the dark night.
They walked for days, hiding in the bush when enemy soldiers passed, finally reaching a refugee camp in Kenya. There, her skills as a pediatric nurse got put to use: She was sought out as the expert in inserting intravenous needles in tiny arms.
In 2001, the Hakims resettled in the United States under CWS auspices. They were welcomed to Texas by Kingwood Christian Church and Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston. The children were enrolled in school, and Margreat found work at a hospital close to her home. Margreat now works for ServiceMaster Restoration & Cleaning as a Restoration Technician, and is pursuing studies to enable her return to nursing.
“We had much to learn from Margreat,” said Rev. Renee Hoke, Kingwood’s pastor. “Her faith is remarkable. It is what sustained her all those years as a refugee. What an example she has been for us!”