the Sudanese Army, we had to watch out for enemy tribes and unfriendly villagers.
Then we were in an Anwok area. We gathered maize from stacks of stalks that were left in the field to dry. These particular people cut their corn stalks down with corn inside, and they piled the stalks together. They eventually would store them inside their village storage areas, but while all dried, they were in the fields, so as we walked at night, we took corn from these piles, stopping to boil it later.
During the day we came upon villages, about one a day, and here the houses were made of grass, including the roof, and they were on one level. They did not have homes like ours made with mud and bamboo where families slept up on the second level off the ground and animals were below. Their grass homes were more like our rainy season camps where we went to escape the high waters for several months a year.
There was one thing more that was different about this area. About the third day, we saw a mountain on the horizon. We had never seen this, and it caused quite a lot of talking back and forth about it. As we drew nearer, it grew bigger. When we arrived, finally, in Itang, the mountain seemed to loom over the camp. Later we found out it was another two hours from the camp.
Numbers of people had already gathered at Itang. There were old and young, men and women, and children, many children. There were UN-provided tents, and there was food. But it was also near a river, and it was wet and swampy. We had daily rations that included some staples, like wheat flour, maize, beans, oil, sugar and salt, but there was never enough. Powdered milk was also distributed, but if we drank too much of this, we suffered from bloating. People actually died after eating too much; it was called âsuffocating stomach.â One guy diedâthey kept us away from him. My uncle told me not to drink much of this.
We got used to sleeping at nightâall the way throughâand rising early in the morning. We had activities to help keep the camp, but there were not other organized games or competitions. It was rainy, and it stayed muddy a lot of the time. So while we had enough water, maybe we had too much.
At this point, as I look back, I see my life began to change in big ways. For one, our small groupâLaat, Matoc, my uncle Dut, Kau, and Iâwere separated. After walking 500 to 600 miles over several months, we were no longer together. This was because soon after I arrived at Itang, I met an elder, Akec Rang. My uncle knew a friend of his. He was Dinka, but from the Cic Dinka tribe. Still, he had connection to our people because he had married a lady from the Agar Dinka tribe like mine.
âYou are supposed to go to school,â he told me. âAt Itang you will not have anything.â So, after I was at Itang for about a month, he paid for a car to take me and two others, Malual and Bec, to Pinyudo, where he said we could have school. He accompanied us there.
Before I left, my uncle Dut left Itang and walked to Pinyudo. Laat followed me to Pinyudo three weeks after Iâd left. Matoc stayed in Itang, but I found him at Pinyudo later, in a different group from mine. My uncle would be in an adult group in Pinyudo, although I would not see him there very much.
What we saw first at Pinyudo was a large number of houses, more than the usual number in the villages we passed while walking. Then, further away from the houses, we came to an area where people were gathered and they seemed to be staying, not moving on. We then learned that this was Pinyudo, and there was to be a refugee camp here, but there were no signs this was a camp. There were no tents. People were just staying on the ground there.
The scene was very disorganized. The car left, and Akec left, and we were there, three boys who did not know each other well. We were Dinka, but we spoke different dialects. We sat on the ground there. We had shorts and shirts on. We were not
Then we were in an Anwok area. We gathered maize from stacks of stalks that were left in the field to dry. These particular people cut their corn stalks down with corn inside, and they piled the stalks together. They eventually would store them inside their village storage areas, but while all dried, they were in the fields, so as we walked at night, we took corn from these piles, stopping to boil it later.
During the day we came upon villages, about one a day, and here the houses were made of grass, including the roof, and they were on one level. They did not have homes like ours made with mud and bamboo where families slept up on the second level off the ground and animals were below. Their grass homes were more like our rainy season camps where we went to escape the high waters for several months a year.
There was one thing more that was different about this area. About the third day, we saw a mountain on the horizon. We had never seen this, and it caused quite a lot of talking back and forth about it. As we drew nearer, it grew bigger. When we arrived, finally, in Itang, the mountain seemed to loom over the camp. Later we found out it was another two hours from the camp.
Numbers of people had already gathered at Itang. There were old and young, men and women, and children, many children. There were UN-provided tents, and there was food. But it was also near a river, and it was wet and swampy. We had daily rations that included some staples, like wheat flour, maize, beans, oil, sugar and salt, but there was never enough. Powdered milk was also distributed, but if we drank too much of this, we suffered from bloating. People actually died after eating too much; it was called âsuffocating stomach.â One guy diedâthey kept us away from him. My uncle told me not to drink much of this.
We got used to sleeping at nightâall the way throughâand rising early in the morning. We had activities to help keep the camp, but there were not other organized games or competitions. It was rainy, and it stayed muddy a lot of the time. So while we had enough water, maybe we had too much.
At this point, as I look back, I see my life began to change in big ways. For one, our small groupâLaat, Matoc, my uncle Dut, Kau, and Iâwere separated. After walking 500 to 600 miles over several months, we were no longer together. This was because soon after I arrived at Itang, I met an elder, Akec Rang. My uncle knew a friend of his. He was Dinka, but from the Cic Dinka tribe. Still, he had connection to our people because he had married a lady from the Agar Dinka tribe like mine.
âYou are supposed to go to school,â he told me. âAt Itang you will not have anything.â So, after I was at Itang for about a month, he paid for a car to take me and two others, Malual and Bec, to Pinyudo, where he said we could have school. He accompanied us there.
Before I left, my uncle Dut left Itang and walked to Pinyudo. Laat followed me to Pinyudo three weeks after Iâd left. Matoc stayed in Itang, but I found him at Pinyudo later, in a different group from mine. My uncle would be in an adult group in Pinyudo, although I would not see him there very much.
What we saw first at Pinyudo was a large number of houses, more than the usual number in the villages we passed while walking. Then, further away from the houses, we came to an area where people were gathered and they seemed to be staying, not moving on. We then learned that this was Pinyudo, and there was to be a refugee camp here, but there were no signs this was a camp. There were no tents. People were just staying on the ground there.
The scene was very disorganized. The car left, and Akec left, and we were there, three boys who did not know each other well. We were Dinka, but we spoke different dialects. We sat on the ground there. We had shorts and shirts on. We were not
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