NICK PORATH: Trhas and Randy sat down in the StoryCorps booth to reflect on their work in the community. But they also ended up reflecting on their friendship.
RANDY WILLIAMS: When I was five, and my sister was a year, my parents got divorced. And we moved from a little town in Utah, to Las Vegas, Nevada. And at the time, that seemed like probably a really trauma-filled thing, and it definitely was. But the support and the growing up experiences I had there really informed who I am now. What about you? How did we get in this booth together?
TRHAS TAFERE: Long story. Coming from a country or a region, I would say -- East Africa -- that is hit by consequent, drought and famine and war displacement. For me, it's like, the situation that I'm in, the table that we're sitting in is like time to be on the other side of like, not always receiving help, assistance, but also like giving back to our community. So that's how we get into this. We both are serving in the board of Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection. And we also do a lot of community work together. So, I think that childhood experience of poverty, living in poverty, that really hard working and really loving and caring, always supporting others. I think that's how we connected in this work.
RANDY WILLIAMS: I think that's so true. Do you mind sharing a little bit more about moving from Eritrea, to finding yourself in Logan, Utah many years later?
TRHAS TAFERE: Yeah, so I was born in Eritrea, my parents are from Ethiopia. But when I was born, Eritrea was part of Ethiopia. We had to leave Eritrea after the war in 2001. And then we moved to Ethiopia, which for me was a different new country. Although my parents are from Ethiopia, I didn't speak the language. Because we speak Tigrinya in Eritrea. It's like you're crossing another country. So, I was kind of a refugee. But I don't feel that way. Because you will live with people who look like you, you might be finding people who speak your language, we eat the same food. So, it wasn't a big adjustment for me, except for that language. I was also a college student when I was displaced. I get to go to another better university. So, for no reason I couldn't compare my experiences with the other refugee communities we have here. I was more fortunate. And then after I live for about 10 years in Ethiopia, I went to college there, I start working as a social worker. My husband, we met in the orphanage volunteering. And then because he's from here, we decided to move here. So that's how the refugee experience is more close to me.
RANDY WILLIAMS: You know, it's interesting, you and I we're both girls from the desert. I grew up in Las Vegas, I grew up in poverty as well. The closer and the longer we know each other -- all of us in this world have a lot of differences. But we also have so many similarities. And the privilege of life is getting close up to someone to know what those similarities are. I feel that way with you. This is so weird. I have been thinking about this for like, 24 hours. I know that there was a time I didn't know you. I can't even remember the first time we met, because it just seems like it was always a natural friendship.
TRHAS TAFERE: I remember feeling like I know you from somewhere before that.
RANDY WILLIAMS: Me too. Yeah. That's how I feel too.
TRHAS TAFERE: Yeah, we'd get connected and you were like super supportive, understanding, accepting, like, empowering me to be actively engaging. So that's what I remember.
RANDY WILLIAMS: I'm a little nervous about being interviewed, which just seems ridiculous since I've interviewed literally hundreds of people. But if it were going to be Trhas, if it were going to be you know, a person that you recognize as someone that's going to put up with any of your weirdnesses or insecurities, someone you can just so trust and be yourself with. But also, if you want to be a little bit more passionate, less passionate, you can just be there with them.
TRHAS TAFERE: I feel the same way. I mean, I was nervous but it just was Randy just talking to Randy. The first person that comes to my mind is you, so I'll text you whether you have the answer or not you at least you'll send me somewhere that I can get the answer and I love that and I feel like I can ask you anything personal I can share anything with you.
