The Sandspur

Issue date: 4/21/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Rochelle Siegel HELPING A CAUSE: Abraham Nhial poses with Black Student Union President Shaniqua Law after he spoke about the troubles taking place in Sudan because of a civil war.

Reverend Abraham Nhial came to Rollins to give students a look into the world he grew up in. About eighteen years ago Nhial was orphaned by the outbreak of civil war in Sudan.

Entire villages were destroyed by the outbreak of war in the largest country in Africa, Sudan. War was caused by the lack of embrace with Islam. Thousands of boys left their village in hopes to find freedom. The journey taken by these boys was a risky walk to Ethiopia. "We walked for three months, barefoot and taking care of each other."

Once in Ethiopia, "We were chased out by the government." Those who had survived the long walk, starvation, and dehydration began their walk back to Sudan. "We ate mud; dry mud and wet mud."

The young orphans then headed for somewhere safer, Kenya. They walked 1,000 miles to Kenya, but "it was the safest we had been in five years."

The hope to find freedom was the only thing the orphans of Sudan lived for. Each week a list of names was posted on a board outside of the orphanage, the list contained names of those lucky few that would be able to travel to the United States.

Each Sunday a plane would come to pick up these boys and take them to a society much different than their own. Before the plane took them over to the States the young boys had to go through training classes first on what to expect to see in America. They were taught not to touch the stove because it is hot, they used a vacuum for the first time, and they had to learn how to cross the street in busy cities. The trip contained many firsts for these young boys. It was the first time they buckled a seat belt, the first time they ate airplane food, the first time they walked on a moving platform at the airport, and the first time in America.

A video was shown during the lecture to help students understand how difficult it was for some of these boys to adjust to the new culture. One clip shown on the airplane showed one young boy eating his first airplane meal, he opened up a packet of butter, set it down in his food and then picked it up with his fork and ate the entire cube of butter by itself. Also in the video was a clip of the boys using a vacuum for the first time, they appeared to be afraid of the loud, cleaning machine coming towards them.

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