As a South Sudanese woman who came to this country as a refugee my early life had been surrounded by guerilla warfare. I grew up with a fear of guns, I was surrounded by family and friends who also never considered owning a gun due to their fears.

Recently I started asking some fundamental questions about my fear of guns. 

Am I afraid of the gun itself or is this just the ramification of where and how I grew up? Is this fear simply just a lack of knowledge because I’m so afraid to even talk about it?

I decided that this needed to be a personal journey of mine. I could either stay and continue to be afraid of guns, or I could take the time to educate myself and learn how to handle guns safely.  I’ve never been so proud to step outside of my comfort zone and do something that scared me. 

Lena’s Rose project is something that I truly believe can change the way many of us think about guns. She not only listened to my fears but took the necessary steps to teach me how to get comfortable with just holding a gun and then being able to handle it. What better way for women to teach and train other women to handle guns. 

I could have spent the rest of my life being scared of guns, but this program truly helped me get the training and the knowledge I needed to be comfortable and confident.

I’ll see you at the training center at SIG.