WEBVTT 00:00:00.640 --> 00:00:06.806 Okay. Okay, let's go. Okay. Um he's gone. So they came later to the 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:14.146 refugees came later in uh 1988. They don't have the cabin camp were with 00:00:14.179 --> 00:00:19.256 one of the biggest, one of the largest refugee camp in the world. I think 00:00:19.289 --> 00:00:23.587 it was number four. Number four. What country is that? In with the border 00:00:23.620 --> 00:00:27.627 of Sudan and South Sudan? And Ethiopia. Ethiopia. Yeah, they call it 00:00:27.660 --> 00:00:35.046 intern refugee camp. It's spelled hi Kia. And okay. I think I've heard of 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:41.366 that one. Okay, so it was one of the largest campus. Okay. A lot of 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:45.737 thousands, millions of people they live there then when you got there, did 00:00:45.770 --> 00:00:49.656 you eventually, how did you stop being a child soldier? Did you? Was it 00:00:49.689 --> 00:00:54.656 that what happened? That is part of being it's also there because when my 00:00:54.689 --> 00:01:00.696 family came, I was already an independent, you know, establish my life 00:01:00.729 --> 00:01:06.447 already. I go to school. So when they came they settled themselves in a 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:14.480 small building close to the camp they call it Mhm. I forget the name of it. 00:01:15.340 --> 00:01:20.096 It's close to the count, you know. So they settled themselves there and 00:01:20.129 --> 00:01:25.296 then I go and beat them. They knew I was there and then I'll come back and 00:01:25.329 --> 00:01:31.527 then stay with people. They that we come get we came together and went to 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:37.346 the to the the boot camp together. So we now know each other and then at 00:01:37.379 --> 00:01:43.867 that time we go to church too. At the same time we joined the group of the 00:01:43.900 --> 00:01:48.887 quiet, then we go to the church and then sometimes we'd be in the army and 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:54.766 then being sure people and being a student you know like it was a very. 00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:59.357 Yeah we're just trying to find to define ourselves like what are we 00:01:59.390 --> 00:02:05.876 fitting in to require that you know the choir group of a young soldier and 00:02:05.909 --> 00:02:13.909 school you know things like that. Yeah So we lived like that until 1989 00:02:14.139 --> 00:02:20.196 So 1989 this is when the European government for the under mancuso 00:02:20.229 --> 00:02:25.626 calamari so it falls and then a new government out came. So the number of 00:02:25.659 --> 00:02:31.647 E. G. Camp was afraid all the people returned back to South Sudan. Did you 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:36.226 have to cross that river? The river. Yes we cross the river because 00:02:36.259 --> 00:02:42.297 crossing river is when we when we came when we came as uh south soldier 00:02:42.330 --> 00:02:49.946 from their uh to go to cuba when we cross the river and when crossing the 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:53.177 river you know the river is very dangerous you know like they have 00:02:53.210 --> 00:02:58.117 crocodiles, they have uh at night too you know you got to be careful 00:02:58.150 --> 00:03:02.207 because they're high enough you know they can laugh and then you can you 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:06.747 can hear them love and close to you because they wanted they wanted to 00:03:06.780 --> 00:03:13.106 hurt some little kids you know you can hear the lions to its right there 00:03:13.139 --> 00:03:21.047 uh and they become so aggressive because they really uh at the the human 00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:25.386 body you know like so part of them they had the human body and when they 00:03:25.419 --> 00:03:30.656 human body be created they become credit, they want they want to eat more 00:03:30.689 --> 00:03:37.286 you know so you can hear them on our way from our village to the refugee 00:03:37.319 --> 00:03:41.617 camp. It was terrible. It was made it scared. Was it at nighttime or was 00:03:41.650 --> 00:03:46.207 it it was a night time and you could hear them, you could hear them at 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:51.696 night you know like the lion rolling, they rolling like really close and 00:03:51.729 --> 00:03:58.267 uh yeah did you did you have for each other when the wind is raining? I 00:03:58.300 --> 00:04:06.300 remember one night when it was there was like a small, it was like how do 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:13.356 you call it? You call it a tornado. Yes like monsoon. Yeah yeah so when 00:04:13.389 --> 00:04:19.187 there is a tornado uh There was a tornado that night you know it is tried 00:04:19.220 --> 00:04:25.637 like around two p.m. And then it went all the way to 11 pm and then when 00:04:25.670 --> 00:04:31.346 when when that that its tone you know go down a little bit you know it's 00:04:31.379 --> 00:04:37.496 become really dark and then it's raining at that time that night we had 00:04:37.529 --> 00:04:44.556 cows, how we were the people get them from the people in the village, you 00:04:44.589 --> 00:04:48.486 know the army, they get up, they get them by force by the way you know 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:53.296 because people would call, they never agree what they can be given to the 00:04:53.329 --> 00:04:59.546 Saudi. So what they do is they go and say hey we need to take this car for 00:04:59.579 --> 00:05:04.806 what now we need to take it because we, we have kids that are starving. 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:09.726 They need, they need food. If you if you try to make noise they're gonna 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:14.647 beat you up. You know they don't shoot you but they beat you up, they 00:05:14.680 --> 00:05:19.496 gotta you know torture you and you know put you in and they have trouble. 00:05:19.529 --> 00:05:25.577 So you better say okay so we have a couple of cows, they care with us you 00:05:25.610 --> 00:05:30.777 know they grab them randomly from the villages from the people and they 00:05:30.810 --> 00:05:36.817 bring them so that that day because of the storm and the rain and uh it 00:05:36.850 --> 00:05:41.957 was nighttime and then we we settle down you know like not in in the 00:05:41.990 --> 00:05:48.337 middle of the village but besides around the hyena and the line they were 00:05:48.370 --> 00:05:53.426 really crazy because they need the cops you know and then we didn't think 00:05:53.459 --> 00:05:59.046 we didn't think they need a cow, we think maybe they need us, 00:05:59.079 --> 00:06:02.786 they were making a lot of noise you know, did you have any guns that you 00:06:02.819 --> 00:06:06.036 can protect yourself with these people? They have like I think they have 00:06:06.069 --> 00:06:10.976 three gun at that time and we are a huge number of people maybe around you 00:06:11.009 --> 00:06:16.517 know 800 people. Yeah we are like a lot of people but they hold it up like 00:06:16.550 --> 00:06:20.746 three guns because now they take him out to the camp, a boot camp where we 00:06:20.779 --> 00:06:26.327 can get trained and then you know get the gun letter so we were called 00:06:26.360 --> 00:06:33.717 like Muskogee Muskogee is like uh like the recruiter Yeah we were just 00:06:33.750 --> 00:06:38.827 recruit at that time. So we do not have all of us do not have a gun but 00:06:38.860 --> 00:06:44.416 what we do is we uh grab a piece of wood and then we can in with us just 00:06:44.449 --> 00:06:50.406 like a gun. You know they just pretending we are carrying out. Okay 00:06:50.439 --> 00:06:54.217 So did you ever have to shoot anybody or so you went into battle? So you 00:06:54.250 --> 00:07:00.257 probably did right? Yeah when we went to the bottom you know we should you 00:07:00.290 --> 00:07:05.416 know we were trying to shoot you know because AK 47 is actually the 00:07:05.449 --> 00:07:10.486 primary again that we used Everybody that you will interview will tell you 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:16.827 the AK 47 minutes the actual Megan that we all use you know so we shoot 00:07:16.860 --> 00:07:21.676 the gun. I should, I didn't know if I shoot anybody but I should you know 00:07:21.709 --> 00:07:27.377 I saw that people, How did you feel? Did you feel I feel, I feel like you 00:07:27.410 --> 00:07:32.106 know like we defeat people you know I feel like maybe I shot somebody but 00:07:32.139 --> 00:07:38.127 uh I feel bad because somebody sometimes if you go to shoot you know you 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:43.046 lose you lose friends and when you lose friends and you know you know you 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:49.397 were defending the France. Yeah but sometimes you know like uh we go to 00:07:49.430 --> 00:07:53.707 war like a group of people like we came here And then you know Brianna 00:07:53.740 --> 00:07:58.046 gets maybe two people will go back. So the rate of people have already 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:03.377 gone so now they are your best friend. You know them for a very long time 00:08:03.410 --> 00:08:07.656 and then now you get to start building up a friendship with the new person 00:08:07.689 --> 00:08:12.567 because you lose your you know you lose your body. That's what it's a 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:17.137 person. You told me you lost a one brother and a sister during the war. 00:08:17.170 --> 00:08:23.007 Yeah I lost my older brother. My older brother was lost. You know it was 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:30.627 it was not actually the war but it was you know within the village we have 00:08:30.660 --> 00:08:37.337 like a client a plan from a plan you know so a different plant come you 00:08:37.370 --> 00:08:42.896 know they came a knife because everybody now had a gun in the in the 00:08:42.929 --> 00:08:49.197 village. So it was up tonight with checking to I would check into the boot 00:08:49.230 --> 00:08:56.467 camp you know uh he was shot at by somebody and they need that you know he 00:08:56.500 --> 00:09:02.976 died right away the same night. Yeah and then my my sister would die 00:09:03.009 --> 00:09:07.496 because because of the sickness You know like a nice nice little cost. But 00:09:07.529 --> 00:09:13.217 my other brother was also killed. It was he was he was killed recently. It 00:09:13.250 --> 00:09:18.496 was like 2013. Okay so when I lost my older brother from the mother and 00:09:18.529 --> 00:09:25.896 another mother. Uh huh. Yeah because like I tell you we are alone. Oy and 00:09:25.929 --> 00:09:32.516 then we are border with new york with tinker from board and we also 00:09:32.549 --> 00:09:37.207 bordered with people from from 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:43.787 uh call it morally you know we are all part of the young ladies States. 00:09:43.820 --> 00:09:49.947 You know like it's a plan a plan from a plan because of the cattle issue. 00:09:49.980 --> 00:09:56.067 You know the people fighting after cut off. You know That time when the 00:09:56.100 --> 00:10:02.307 peace was signed it's also done in 2005. We thought we've got to live in 00:10:02.340 --> 00:10:08.837 peace right? But the fighting continued so continue to keep keep 00:10:08.870 --> 00:10:16.457 containing. And then now the people from the puma states with the young 00:10:16.490 --> 00:10:24.490 state from the guma khan they can they ambushed our tongue. You know I 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:28.646 talked to my brother this is where that you know we have a telephone line 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:33.047 in our code. So I called him. I tell them you know now we have peace in 00:10:33.080 --> 00:10:37.807 the country. I don't want to lose you just like we lost our older brothers. 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:45.067 So we want what I want you to do is tell our father with you and go to 00:10:45.100 --> 00:10:50.417 Gambella Ethiopia where there is no war until everything is settled down. 00:10:50.450 --> 00:10:58.450 So that night you went to the to the camp, you know That camp that you 00:10:59.110 --> 00:11:03.976 were, you went to sleep at that night. You know I told him just right here 00:11:04.009 --> 00:11:09.776 and feeling right here it was 2013. So when I speak with him we say okay 00:11:09.809 --> 00:11:15.126 now I will go to the camp and then collect our cows. And then tomorrow 00:11:15.159 --> 00:11:21.606 when I come back, myself and our father, we will go, we will go to their, 00:11:21.639 --> 00:11:25.707 we'll go to the to the gamble. 00:11:25.740 --> 00:11:29.557 So at that night when he was asleep there there was anguish from a 00:11:29.590 --> 00:11:33.947 different client. They were they were, you know, they were in the bushes 00:11:33.980 --> 00:11:38.776 somewhere around there. So in the morning then they had on average and 00:11:38.809 --> 00:11:41.427 then they fought, they fought and then somebody called me and said that 00:11:41.460 --> 00:11:45.846 there is a five fighting good. And then I was awarded with him. You know, 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:52.217 and at that time he was in the fight and get the get killed. And I feel 00:11:52.250 --> 00:11:56.807 very sorry. But you were the only person that can take care of my holder. 00:11:56.840 --> 00:12:02.407 My older father, my father is very hola tendencies around 1990 years old. 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:07.417 So there is nobody that I that I can think we'll take care of him. But he 00:12:07.450 --> 00:12:11.957 was the only person that I talked to. And the first, the only person that 00:12:11.990 --> 00:12:19.646 I sent the money to to contribute for the family. So uh keep calling that 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:24.976 day until the next day until people have told me, you know, they can't 00:12:25.009 --> 00:12:30.557 find it. And then they went looking for the bodies of the people that get 00:12:30.590 --> 00:12:35.386 killed. And then they finally quite thereafter. You know this is when the 00:12:35.419 --> 00:12:40.476 hum wish they went back to the village and then you know, I keep telling 00:12:40.509 --> 00:12:45.856 my other little brother that I talked to this morning. I tell them now you 00:12:45.889 --> 00:12:51.126 don't have to stay there anymore? You better go to Gambella Ethiopia. I 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:56.167 have to pick out of you. Mhm. Bring on my father there and then you know 00:12:56.200 --> 00:13:04.200 my my mother to pass at that year, you know in 2013 2 you know you would 00:13:04.700 --> 00:13:12.700 like my mother passed like a in february and then this guy, my brother was 00:13:14.340 --> 00:13:21.807 killed in in March. It was like Back to back two months, 2 months party. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:27.626 It was like a heartbreaking news with familiar and the family is your 00:13:27.659 --> 00:13:31.846 brother in camp Bella right now. He's in Gambella but I took him to see 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:36.407 what he's going to school, you know, so I support him and send him money 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:40.496 and then you know he had a good school. Well your father still alive or 00:13:40.529 --> 00:13:46.447 did he? My father is still alive. That's great. Yeah. That's very good 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:51.746 this morning. Oh good. Yeah. So when you were in the camp and since you 00:13:51.779 --> 00:13:55.726 were a child soldier, did you have rations also? Did you have enough food 00:13:55.759 --> 00:14:03.217 to eat or the food was not were not that great. Uh all we get with the 00:14:03.250 --> 00:14:11.037 beef, we have beans that they bring and they have a milk, like a dry milk 00:14:11.070 --> 00:14:17.087 that they brought to uh that one was not housing at that time. Everybody 00:14:17.120 --> 00:14:23.307 has like a stomach pain and everything like that. So it was really not 00:14:23.340 --> 00:14:29.246 good. I don't even want to think about it. Yeah, 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:32.547 we'll tell you that. How did you, how did you end up coming to the United 00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:36.967 States? Did you hear about the program to bring people here or how did 00:14:37.000 --> 00:14:45.000 that happen? The process was very long. Like I tell you in a 19 1989, this 00:14:45.250 --> 00:14:49.766 is where the Ethiopian government, you know, the old government were 00:14:49.799 --> 00:14:56.526 taking control by the level. So the harmony. I mean the beauty camp was 00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:03.606 what's afraid? So our people went back to the to my village, my father too 00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:09.636 and my my little brother and my mother, they all went back to our old 00:15:09.669 --> 00:15:15.376 billy's in our cover. So I did not manage it to go there because now I 00:15:15.409 --> 00:15:21.407 went to primary school until 7th grade. So at that time I wanted to go to 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:27.447 school. You know, my father have two cars that he that he kept, you know 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:31.526 the entire car because all of our cars that I told you about, they all got 00:15:31.559 --> 00:15:35.827 because of the war. You know we're moving here, we lose one move them, we 00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:41.366 lose five. We'll go there. You know and to indiana just with with two and 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:44.967 then you say now with my two cars, I don't have anything to do with it. 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:48.986 Maybe they would they would just go away or somebody will take them. So 00:15:49.019 --> 00:15:53.907 what I would do is I will sell them for you to go to school. So we sell 00:15:53.940 --> 00:16:00.207 these two cars. You know that was in 1989. And then you know he told me if 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:04.827 you wanted to go to school you can go to school and then I had to buy a 00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:10.636 certificate because at that time when when the camp was separated we were 00:16:10.669 --> 00:16:17.287 by protect the test A final attack like a national attempt to go to be 00:16:17.320 --> 00:16:24.207 promoted to 8th grade. But because of the fight there nobody took the test. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:29.297 So now uh the Ethiopian government, they restrict people that does not 00:16:29.330 --> 00:16:33.907 have a certificate. They have a legal certificate that you have to buy. 00:16:33.940 --> 00:16:37.766 You gotta buy it like you know to go to school you get to buy a 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:43.827 certificate. So with my mother my father car money that that I sell. So I 00:16:43.860 --> 00:16:47.817 I was able to buy a certificate. So I bought a certificate from a 00:16:47.850 --> 00:16:52.116 different random person that I want people to go to school. And then I 00:16:52.149 --> 00:17:00.106 went to to school in Canberra and then from Gambella It was 1990, 1990. 00:17:00.139 --> 00:17:08.139 Then I flew I went I took a bus from, it was it was really really crazy 00:17:08.150 --> 00:17:14.417 too. I was one of the people plus people that go from Gambella to addis 00:17:14.450 --> 00:17:21.707 ababa Ethiopia because there was another another tribe. I'm not tried. Mhm. 00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:26.877 They were settled in Gambella and they don't want no it like myself or 00:17:26.910 --> 00:17:31.707 Goenka from the from the deep South Sudan to go and brought them and go to 00:17:31.740 --> 00:17:37.526 school in addis Ababa. So if they catch you, they killed you know they 00:17:37.559 --> 00:17:43.236 random they kill people in you know in the middle. So what I did was uh 00:17:43.269 --> 00:17:47.796 after I bought my certificate and I enroll in uh one of the school in 00:17:47.829 --> 00:17:52.857 Gambella for like two weeks. And then now I heard that you know some 00:17:52.890 --> 00:17:57.576 drivers from Gambella they go all the way to Addison bob and then I had a 00:17:57.609 --> 00:18:02.907 friend of mine I think now we need a concept you know Kansas can't see. 00:18:02.940 --> 00:18:10.809 Yeah he knew uh you know the Ethiopian lands so I hook up with him.