Yonas Kinde, half marathon silver medalist at the Belgrade marathon 2022.
By Dragan Vukotic
Running has always had a special place in the life of Yonas Kinde, Olympic marathoner and a former refugee.
It had helped him to be always on time for school during his childhood years in Ethiopia and has been helping him ever since not to be late for the most decisive events in his life.
Thanks to running, he succeeded in adjusting more easily to the new environment once he settled in Luxembourg. What is more, athletics has also helped him to find his own sense of purpose in life, a mission he has devoted himself to unreservedly, as he showcased once again at the Belgrade Marathon, which he recently participated in.
“After I started more intensive cooperation with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, every time I run, I feel both the privilege and the sense of noble duty, for representing more than 100 million forcibly displaced people around the world,” claims Yonas.
UNHCR designated Yonas as its High-Profile Supporter to serve as the voice of all those forced to flee their homes worldwide. Although he was granted Luxembourg citizenship, Yonas has continued with his tireless work on spreading the word about refugee talents and overall contribution displaced people are bringing to host countries. His recent visit to Serbia only proves the point.
“When you work hard and work on achieving your dreams every day, you will get there. Even for people who had to flee their homes, there is a future, just like mine. I had to flee my home in Ethiopia and rebuild my life in Luxembourg but now I can proudly say I am an Olympian. The same goes for any refugee, in Serbia and beyond,” says he.
In addition to facilitating Yonas’ visit, UNHCR organized inclusion of other refugees, asylum-seekers and Roma into the Belgrade Marathon accompanying programme. Children from socially fragile background gathered under the Music Art Project from Belgrade, a unique initiative for the support of vulnerable children and youth through art, joined forces with asylum-seeking Burundians. Together, they created a lively gig, bursting with energy, at the UNHCR branded stage along the marathon route. Playful African melodies together with energetic children improvisations comprised of R&B and hip-hop tunes together with percussion beats created a unique fusion of sounds, enthusiastically appreciated by the marathoners running by.
“I felt so proud when I saw a UNHCR stage. When you run the race, all support and encouragement you receive from the audience means the world to you. This time it was special, it felt like seeing a family rooting for me,” says Yonas.
A few kilometers away, at a UNHCR water distribution stand, a group of unaccompanied and separated children from specialized institutions were passionately cheering for runners while diligently handing them bottled water.
Sport has that special power of overcoming all barriers, and all the marathon participants and supporters both in the race and along it, at least for a short period of time experienced the sense of unison and togetherness.
On its part the Belgrade Marathon, the leading sports event of this kind in the region of South-Eastern Europe, demonstrated an outstanding openness to the UNHCR initiated activities.
“Cooperation with UNHCR has been completely in line with our vision of sport being as inclusive as possible. Yonas’ participation, along with the stage and water distribution point manned by the people UNHCR cares for represented an outstanding addition to our programme, sending a powerful message of acceptance and solidarity,” underlines Darko Habus, the Marathon Director.
Yonas ranked 2nd at the Belgrade half marathon, and his silver medal has a very special shine.
“This is to all my fellow refugees and other people who have overnight lost everything. Every one of us has his own race to run in life, but refugees have an additional one, that of a run for safety. The medal I just won is yet another token of what we can achieve if only we are granted a chance,” underlines Yonas proudly.
Belgrade Marathon
Belgrade Marathon
Belgrade Marathon, Yonas Kinde
Yonas Kinde, half marathon silver medalist at the Belgrade marathon 2022.
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