South Sudan youth initiative that satisfies inter-continental journey

By Thon Aleu

May 8, 2010 (BOR) – Abraham Dau Nyok left his ancestors home in Bor in 1987 at age 13 years for a long journey that took him to Ethiopia, Kenya and Australia and finally return home with a “satisfactory asset.” He owns a hotel in Bor town, the capital of Jonglei State.

Costing approximately US $ 150,000 the three brothers’ pooling eventually succeeds to building of Cold-inn Comfort Hotel in eastern Bor town and serves to “inform (Sudanese) citizens overseas to put example here. Security is okay and we don’t wish for war.”

Dau Nyok is one of the 16,000 children from Greater Bor areas taken to Ethiopia four years after the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) rebelled against the central government of Khartoum in 1983. With aims of enrolling them to school, the then guerrilla fighters propose collecting children aged 10—15 years in the areas it controlled. SPLM/A commanders were entrusted to convince parents to allow their children taken to school in Ethiopia succeeded.

Kuol Manyang Juuk, Jonglei Governor and Awet Akot, the former governor of Lakes Sate, managed to gather a substantial number of children in their respective regions. Others SPLA commanders never succeeded well when parents turn down the rebels offer.

Indeed, not all the children attended schools in Ethiopia as those “above ages” were recruited to reservoir SPLA co-named as ‘Jec Amer’ (the red army).

Another fraction children died of hunger and related diseases. A change of governance in Ethiopia in 1991 repulsed the ‘Red Army’ to Pochala in Jonglei State before being further fired to Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya by Sudan Armed Forces attacks then. The whole journey was thwarting but promises from leaders and eager to learn in better schools keep the children’s hopes alive.

A UN repatriation program that started in Ethiopia some years back, for the Lost Boys of Sudan, widen opportunities for the ‘Red Army’ and a vast majority went the United State before the September 11 attacks halted others.

Dau, and his brothers Majak Mayen Deng and John Garang Ngor, also shareholders for the Cold-inn Comfort hotel investment, went to Australia in 2004 where they are studying to-date. Unlike Ethiopia or Kenya, in Australia or in the US, the Red Army swiftly started benefiting their parents given jobs opportunities there. A section of the former Red Army who remained in Kakuma returned to Southern Sudan after the 2005 peace agreement. Others continue with their education in Sudanese universities as well as serving in various public services.

“Kuol Manyang told our parents that your children will get lighted rooms. He was referring to these houses,” Mr. Dau said pointing to the hotel behind him. Mr. Kuol Manyang received an award in 2009 from the Southern Sudanese living in the United States of America for his personal contribution to their success. Gov. Kuol Manyang hailed the group too, for completing the mission and honoring him saying “most of you are better than their fathers.”

For those aboard, however, investment back home is slowly commencing as fears of return to war hung; something southerners don’t believe.
“Fear of return to war restrains investors,” Dau says. “We don’t know that Southern Sudan is safe. We think that war is on the way but here, it’s totally normal. Security is okay. We don’t wish for war” he added.

“In the south, we are fighting three wars; liberation, education and development,” Abraham Dau says. “The last two (education and development) belong [solely] to the youth,” he noted.

Cold-inn Comfort Hotel offers mainly dishes accredited to Ethiopians and soft drinks. It’s frequent by youths. But the beauty of this 14 by 8 meters hotel is not limited to it construction design, services or owners’ success. It answers two questions; the war of development and safety of investors in southern Sudan, Abraham Dau, 36, says.

“We are not proud of it,” Dau says softly. “This is an invitation to brothers overseas. We have to come back home.”

A long journey that took Dau to Ethiopia, Kenya and across Africa to Australia is finally “satisfied by this asset,” he says.

A second year student of community welfare and counseling, Mr. Dau plans to return to Australia to complete his studies.

(ST)