The Ambition and Determination of an Orphan: God in Firm Hope

By Beny Aterdit Bol

Beny Aterdit Bol is pursuing a Master of International Law at the Australian National University. He holds masters in governance, public policy, and development from the University of Queensland and a bachelor of arts degree in international relations, politics, and government from Griffith Universityall in Australia. His book, The Ambition and Determination of an Orphan: God in Firm Hope, narrates a story of childs struggle for a better future in a war-torn country. His recollection of the past mainly aims to give hope to those kids in similar circumstances. The book intends to advise young people in countries such as Australia and other developed countries to take advantage of available educational opportunities to maximise their potentials for the betterment of their future. I urge young people not to wait for things to happen automatically but to work for them, especially at early stages of life. Be a leader of yourself by thinking strategically and making right choices everyday and working very hard towards realisation of those choices. Set up your personal principles and stick to them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jan 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503501546

Beny Aterdit Bol

Beny Aterdit Bol was born around 1984 in a village called Grindi, Rumbek East county of Lakes State in South Sudan. Having spent almost his childhood time in cattles’ camps, he started his primary school in September 1994 at Bar-Aguoc Primary school. He did primary two in 1996 at Amer Primary School and primary three at Bar-Aliap in 1997. After the devastating famine of 1998, he did not attend school. He moved to Rumbek town where he did primary five, six, and half of seven from 1999 to early 2001 when he went to Uganda. He finished senior four and obtained Uganda Certificate of Education in 2006 after three years without schooling due to the lack of school’s fees. In February 2007, he was granted an Australian humanitarian visa and settled in Australia that year. He worked and went back to marry in 2008, and in July 2009, he joined Griffith University where he graduated with bachelor of arts degree with double major in international relations and politics and government in July 2012. He got an offer from the University of Queensland where he graduated with master’s degree in governance, public policy, and development in July 2014. He is currently pursuing Master of International Law at the Australian National University.

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Copyright © 2015 by Beny Aterdit Bol.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5035-0153-9

                eBook            978-1-5035-0154-6

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Rev. date: 01/27/2015

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Foreword

About the Author

1     Prologue

2     My Childhood

3     Hudut Aterdit and the SPLA/M

4     Primary Education

5     Secondary Education and My Resettlement in Australia

6     My Marriage

7     Opportunities in Australia (CHOGM and University Education)

8     Life after University

9     The Enormous Threats of the Endless Identity Politics

10   References

Acknowledgements

I dedicate this book to my parents – mother, Ding Majok; father, Aterdit Bol; maternal uncle, Kau Majok; my cousin, Mr Dok Kuckon Dut; my elder brothers; friends; and relatives. Above all, this book would have not been finished without the unprecedented support of my wife, Nyitab Mayom Akec, and our three children, Athiei, Ding, and Aterdit.

I am very thankful to my nephew, Dut Abraham Gum, for his words of encouragement and financial support during my high school. I thank Ambassador Paul Macuei Malok for his critical role during my marriage. Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge the invaluable support of the two staff of Xlibris Corporation: Dori Jules, publishing consultant, and Cherry Minoza, submission representative. I was very lucky to have Dori because I was a full-time student without a job, but Dori was so focussed in making sure that this story gets out there for people to read. For over three months after my first initial contact with Dori, I indicated to her that I had the material, but I could not afford paying for publication. Sometimes, I even regrettably refused to answer Dori’s phone calls because I didn’t want to make empty promises to her. Fortunately, she did not give up calling me. Dori told me she would do everything possible to help me publish this book. Similarly, I owe much credit to Cherry Minoza, who also encouraged me not to let anything block me from publishing the book. Cherry was positive on everything about the book, and she made sure that all my enquiries were answered kindly and satisfactorily. Both Dori and Cherry were so humble, generous, and sincere to me throughout the process. Finally, I am so grateful to the Australian community and government for giving me the great opportunity to rebuild my life, acquire necessary skills, and potentially realise my dreams in my generation.

Foreword

I know from my friendship with Beny Aterdit Bol that he is a quiet and gentle man, and now I know from this remarkable book that he has enjoyed neither a quiet nor a gentle life. Though I count Beny as a friend, I did not fully appreciate what he has been through until I read this terrific – sometimes terrifying – account of a life’s journey from South Sudan to the south of Brisbane, settling in our community here in Logan City.

The man I have come to know is not the Beny of cattle camps, midnight fights, bombing raids and taking shelter from shrapnel and debris. He no longer writes village songs for relatives, nor does he walk and swim for three to four hours each way to and from school, trudging through swamps while picking and eating berries, to attend daily lessons. His studies are no longer interrupted by warring clans and he no longer frets that being the youngest in a big family will prevent him finding love and marriage (it didn’t). I did not know him when he dyed his hair a lighter shade with cow’s urine, and I’m pleased he no longer does!

The Beny I know is the man I marched with to protest violence against women in our community, in the wake of a horrific attack. He’s the one I join in local parks to cook sausages for disadvantaged kids and teach them the dangers of drugs and alcohol. The man who leads a dedicated team at Youth Off The Streets – an organisation which is such a force for good for the homeless and marginalised in the suburbs I grew up in. The mentor of another young African man – Mathew –encouraging him on to the same university that Beny (and I, incidentally) attended, where he ploughs through a degree under Beny’s watchful eye.

That’s the Beny I know; the one who looks out for people and looks after people. Not just family and friends but the people who do it tough in the country that took him in just seven years ago, and then only after a long and agonising wait.

Beny’s is a story of dedication and sacrifice, but also of selflessness. Enjoy, as I did, his reflections here on that hunger to serve other people. For example, his declaration that ever since I was very young, I had always wished to have a lot of resources, not to boost my welfare, but to help my mother, brothers, relatives, friends and everybody who might need assistance really reveals the kind of person he is, and the substantial contribution he has made and will continue to make in his truly remarkable life.

Instead of fighting families across a river, or across a volatile border, or fighting through swamps that block his path to school, Beny fights disadvantage and discrimination. Our community is better for his joining us, and our country is as well. Mid-way through the book he recalls saying in another context that I told him no, brother, we are one family. To read this book is to understand what he means.

Jim Chalmers MP

Woodridge, Logan City

December 2014

About the Author

Beny Aterdit Bol was born on Sunday, around 1984 in a village called Grindi, Rumbek East County of Lakes State in South Sudan. As he was born at night, he was named Makou, and after people realised that the baby got hinge fingers, making the total of 12 fingers altogether, they gave him second name, Machiek, meaning creator. In the later years, some people, particularly the family’s neighbour called Manyiel Chathpuou Magok, came up with the name Benybith, which then means spear’s master or spiritual leader. Machiek and Beny emerged because the baby traditionally wasn’t related to a tree that people believe could make baby born with hinge fingers. The baby would therefore possess natural powers as the features couldn’t be linked to anything else. But for some of my friends whom I grew up with, and those I met later on, they interpreted the name Beny as being noble, which is associated with potentials of high achieving, kind, just and selfless giving.

Having spent almost his childhood in cattle camps, he started his primary school in September 1994 at Bar-Aguoc Primary School. He did primary two in 1996 at Amer Primary School and primary three at Bar-Aliap in 1997. After the devastating famine of 1998, he did not attend the school. He moved to Rumbek town, where he did primary five, six, and half of seven from 1999 to early 2001 when he went to Uganda. He finished senior four and obtained Uganda Certificate of Education in 2006 after three years without schooling due to lack of school fees. In February 2007, he was granted an Australian humanitarian visa and settled in Australia that year. He worked and went back to marry in 2008, and in July 2009, he joined Griffith University, where he graduated with bachelor of arts degree with double major in International Relations and Politics and Government in July 2012.

He got an offer from the University of Queensland, where he graduated with master’s degree in Governance, Public Policy, and Development in July 2014. He is currently pursuing Master of International Law at the Australian National University. He is the youngest of eight children. He also has one sister and two brothers from his stepmother. He is looking forward to be, by profession, a diplomat, development and public policy practitioner, and political scientist. In 2011, he became not only the first Australian South Sudanese but also the first South Sudanese youth to participate at the Commonwealth Youth Forum, an auxiliary of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which comprised of leaders and delegates from over fifty countries. He was one of the thirty Australian youth delegates selected by the government to represent young Australians at the forum.

1

Prologue

One thing I have learnt from my experience is that many people are not either prepared or willing to document and share their personal stories of sufferings and successes. I think in so doing, you will provide a powerful tool for other kids who are going exactly through similar challenges as they work hard to realise their potentials. Many young people who are battling unprecedented conditions, particularly those in poor and hopeless environment of the developing countries, could easily succumb to the situation if they think their stories are incomparable. In countries such as Australia, it is simply a matter of individual’s choice to change something that you are not happy with in your life. It just takes critical thinking and hard work to be who you want to be. There are no barriers, though, that separate orphaned and non-orphaned children in terms of education. But in developing or third world countries if you like, you are forced to do things against your will and accept things as they are. However, there are exceptional cases, and it also takes exceptional people to succeed in what they intend to achieve. The aim of this book is to generate hope for children who are under similar circumstances by telling them that you can work your way out of any situation. But it requires extraordinary efforts to equalise with other lucky kids. I want my children also to know how I came about and to let them know that failure and success does not discriminate between the rich and the poor. You may be born to very rich and educated parents, but you may end up as the greatest failure in your generation if you don’t work hard. You can be from illiterate and poor parents, but if you give up much of your leisure time, think strategically and critically, work hard, be generous and compassionate, pray to God, make prudent friendships, and remain hopeful, you will easily achieve what you want essentially. Equally, I do not want my kids to make pride of my sole achievements without their individual’s contributions that’s beyond mine. Meaning that I want my children, first and foremost, to be proud of what they have achieved themselves through their hard work. I find it ridiculous for some children to talk about what their parents have achieved while they have so little to say about themselves and the efforts they make to do the same. With children, I mean the adults who obviously have potentials and abilities to set agenda for