our students: biographies
Recently I spent 3 weeks at the school, getting to know the staff and students a bit better and seeing how our help is making a difference in the lives of the students there. Many students wrote their life stories to me, and I came away with a deep sense of responsibility to share their stories.
One question I asked the students to write about was “what is your hope for the future?” The wording for this question was inspired by a verse from the Bible that says: “…for I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future…” Jeremiah 29:11.
Some students are in their late teens and early twenties, working hard to complete their education as they did not have a chance to attend school during their childhood. They have fled from southern Sudan to escape the civil war and destruction of their villages and have sought asylum in Kenya. Some of the older students are former child soldiers that fled the civil war in southern Sudan many years ago.
It is hoped that someday the graduates of Sud Academy will eventually return to their homeland, having obtained the skills necessary to rebuild their country.
Lino Madut's Story
My name is Lino Madut Angok. I will not forget the life I faced in Sudan because that was the time that the militiamen captured me in our village and burnt all the houses. They raided our cattle and killed many people, including my brother. During that time I was 14 years old.
I was caught by the enemy in 1994, and they took me to northern Sudan where I was a slave in a place called Karegi. I suffered a lot in slavery. Then in 1998, there was a certain organization that was redeeming children who were being held captive as slaves. This organization helped me and took me back to my village called Panyok. When I returned, my former home was damaged, only a wall remained. My parents were nowhere to be found, and even to date I don’t know where they are.
Since there was no-one in my village to take care of me, I was given a way to come to Kenya through the organization that got me out of slavery. They brought me to Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya. Some people helped me to come to Nairobi. I had no means to return to the camp, so I have stayed in Nairobi. I have found a Kenyan to stay with close to Sud Academy. Because I am a student, he allows me to stay with him.
Being able to study at Sud Academy helps me in so many ways. It educates me well so that I may become an educated member of the Sudanese community. It educates me on how to become a brighter person, with a hopeful future in Sudan.
My hope is that after I become educated at Sud Academy, then I should go back home to Sudan to help my people who have very little education. This is my hope.
Becky Alado Goch
My name is Becky Alado Goch, and this is my life story of being here. It is already known in some of the world that we in Sudan have been in war for a number of years, and that has caused a lot of problems and was the reason why many of us left. These problems are that war leads to everyone fighting, death can occur and it makes some people to be refugees. It also leads to lack of education in Sudan, and some are going to other countries to look for better education. It leads to poverty because so many are fighting that they don’t have time to grow food.
All of these things and many others made me with my 2 brothers to be refugees in Kakuma for almost 5 years, being given food by UNHCR until we grew up. The local tribe around Kakuma started killing Sudanese people because we were in their country for many years. Therefore we decided to move from Kakuma to Nairobi where there is security.
We came and looked for a house, but it was not possible because rent was too high. One Sudanese friend called us to stay with him, and we did for almost one year, but without school because Sud Academy was not yet opened by that time. When Sud was opened for Sudanese students to learn, I joined it with my 2 brothers as well, and we have been here up to now.
Gregory Dut Agei
My name is Gregory Dut Agei. I was born in the year 1984 in southern Sudan, my village was called Manyiel Agei. I was brought up well in a good atmosphere with no fear and no threats. That changed in 1992 when government militias attacked our village, and that was the worst thing I had ever seen in my life. I witnessed with my own eyes 10 people being killed, many others were left for dead. Some were captured and taken away, and have never come back. Also, homes were set on fire and livestock were stolen from those who depended on animals as a source of wealth. Many people, without help, ran from the village.
I myself was forced to become like a wild animal. In order to survive, I ran to the bush with two other boys and we spent the night there hiding from the enemy. The following morning, gunshots were still present, so this discouraged us from going back. I decided to follow these 2 boys, though our journey was an unplanned one. We walked towards the town of Rumbek. Even though I was quite young, I managed to arrive to the town after 3 days. I stretched out my arm asking for help.
In Rumbek, life was still not that good. Planes started bombing day and night and people again started running to the bush. I joined a group of people I didn’t know, my aim was to escape death. We walked towards Equatoria for many days and we crossed the Nile River with the help of fishermen. We went to Nimule then to Newside, Torit and Kapoeta, but the fighting intensified again.
The UNHCR took us to Kakuma Refugee Camp to rescue us and we were given ration cards. I stayed there and started my learning at a refugee school. I stayed in Kakuma until 2005, when the local tribe attacked the camp and killed people. I decided to leave the camp and come to Nairobi because of these hostilities.
I heard about this Sudanese school called Sud Academy being sponsored by Canadians. I decided to join and today I am studying in primary level. I really thank the people who support Sud Academy. My vision is to be well educated.
the enemy poured into our home… the entire village was in an up-roar…they loaded people into trucks…my mom and I were among the captives while my father was beaten to death on the spot…
Deng Malua