Peter Bol Ajook
Age: 26
Region: Upper Nile
I left my home, Bor, in 1987, when I was about seven years old. There was war in Sudan. In the morning,
we heard people attack with bombs near our village. I left with my uncle, sister, and mom and we ran to
the woods. The rebels killed my father when they attacked our village. We met a lot of people in the
woods who were running away, too.
Along the journey, we didn’t have food or water. We got water from mud and ate grass and leaves from
trees. One time, a lion killed a gazelle and left it. We cut it into small pieces, cooked it with water, and
ate it for three days.
We then made it to a village called Anyuak, and stayed there for two days. I sold a nickel to get food. We
then went to Panyido for about four or five months. When we left Panyido to go back to Sudan, we ate
grass and leaves with water. Many boys died. We had to cross the River Gilo. Many people drowned and
there were shootings.
We then went to Pochalla and stayed there for about four months. There was once again no food and I
had to eat the leaves of the tree. The UN came and gave food to the people. Six months later, the war
came again and people ran away. No one had shoes, so we had to run barefoot. Eighteen hours after we
fled Pochalla, we arrived in Bomma. People gave us cows and beans to eat, but there wasn’t enough
food for everyone. Later, we went to Magos, an army base where the UN and the Red Cross came. They
gave us food.
I came to the United States on August 28, 2001. I went to New York. I saw lights in New York and it
confused me. In Chicago, I got lost at the airport and was confused. I had to go to Texas with Phillip Gai.
When I was here, I couldn’t sleep because I was worried. I didn’t know how to close the T.V.
I now go to Glendale Community College and I am studying ESL. I have worked for Blackstone security
for about three years. I like to play soccer, but I stopped because something was wrong with my leg. I
am very happy to be here in the U.S. I am going to school and everyone is wearing good shoes and good
clothes.