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I was living with my mother and father in our small village called Magwi. It was very small but I had many friends there. My mother took care of me and my father was a farmer. One day we heard many loud noises far away. They came closer and closer to our village very quickly. Everyone was afraid. We saw some mean men with guns shooting at the people in Magwi. Then we saw some other men in uniforms shoot back at them. When the LRA came to our village, the army of Sudan fought them and made them go away. But many people died that day because they were between the men with the guns. My father was shot and killed that day. My mother was very, very sad and so was I. I loved my father very much. We did not find much food after that day. My mother farmed and I helped her, but the crops did not grow. When I was seven my mother died because she did not have enough to eat. She gave me all of our food instead so I could live. I miss my mother and father very much. But I have many brothers and sisters now. I go to school and some day I will learn to sew. I like to play with the little children and make them laugh and smile. I like to draw and play with dolls and help in the kitchen. |
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I was four years old when I was riding in a car with my mother and father and both of my sisters. We were suddenly attacked by LRA soldiers. They shot my mother and father first. It happened very quickly, but I cannot forget. After we saw them dying, we were very afraid, and we started to scream and cry. Then they took my sister out of the car and began raping her. She was screaming and we didn’t know what to do. When the soldiers were finished with her, they put gasoline on her body and then put fire on her. My sister, Angela, and I were very scared so we ran as fast as we could away from the soldiers. They started shooting bullets at us and one hit my sister in the neck. Then another bullet hit my head, and I could only see with one eye. We ran for a very long time until we could not hear the screaming or the soldiers any more. We spent the night outside under a tree and could not find any food or water. We stayed that way for three days. Then father (Sam) and some men came and found us. We were afraid of them, but they told us they were our friends and they wanted to help us. They took us back to their home and we stayed there. They put medicine on my eye and my sister’s neck and gave us food and water. My eye is gone now because of the bullet. After a while we started to learn things at the school. I like to play soccer and other games, and I like to draw pictures. Sometimes at night I still dream about the day my mother and father and sister died, and it makes me very sad and frightened. I scream in my sleep sometimes, too. But father tells me everything is ok and that I am safe. He has taken me to America to talk to doctors about my eye and my face because I have had problems since the bullet took my eye. I have also had surgery. I like to eat ice cream after I have surgery because it tastes very good. I like to be back in Sudan with my sister, Angela. It makes me happy to play video games and run and kick soccer balls and play with dogs. Someday I want to grow up and be very strong and maybe be a police officer. |
