Help Ruey Reunite w/ Mom in Africa

*NOTE: CAMPAIGN FINISHED AND ACCOMPLISHED AS OF 6/1/2015*

“Ruey Dei Plans to Reunite with Family After 20+ Years in South Sudan, Africa”


Welcome to My Story

            Life and its’ journeys take us beyond places that are unimaginable. Reminiscing back like it happened yesterday, my story began from the savanna of Jonglei State, South Sudan to the United States, a country my ancestors never encountered. My name is Ruey Dei, and I wrote this letter to tell family members and friends that I am planning on going back to South Sudan to reunite with my mother and family members. It has been twenty+ years since the last time I saw my family. I am humbly asking everyone for prayers through this journey and for a contribution to my trip. While catching up with family members and friends, I will also be helping out at Warbek, a nonprofit school located in a small town. I have four semesters left to complete my dual Masters Degrees in Social Work and Public Administration at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. God willing, I am hoping to graduate in the fall of 2016. While I look forward to seeing my family and friends, I am also traveling with the knowledge, awareness, and research-oriented mindset that I gained in grad school.

An Overview of My Life in America

            I fled South Sudan with my aunt Nyayoka Deng and cousin Nyamal Dei to IFO Dadaab refugee camp outside Nairobi, Kenya for two years, and then came to the United States in 1995. Upon arrival, I lived with Nyayoka and Nyamal in a hard part of San Diego, CA, and then the projects of Atlanta, GA. I then moved to Omaha, NE, where I lived in the projects of South Omaha with my extended family (Jock and Nyawal Deng).  I went to Burke High School, where I met Paul Cain.  His mother and father (Bret and Julie Cain) later adopted me the summer after my sophomore year. I gained new siblings (Paul, Bryce, and Kiley) after being adopted, along with a granddad and grandmother (Morton and Joyce Cain) that loved me like their own. They also helped me to get my citizenship in 2008 and they used their blessings to bless me.  I’m thankful that I also gained extended family on both Bret and Julie’s sides that helped mold me into who I am today. I am very grateful for the memories with them, giving me hope for a bright future that sustained me after my traumatic past in South Sudan and refugee camp, seeing things that no child should have to see.

            I was the first one in my biological family to achieve a high school diploma and my Bachelor’s Degree as a first generation college graduate. I am also the first person in my biological family pursuing graduate school.  The first part of my journey was filled with trials and at the same time, there were countless moments of joy.  It was a decade before my biological family members and friends knew I was still alive.

            I married my beautiful wife Michaela Freeman in August of 2010. We then had our precious daughter, Gloria, in January of 2012. My wife and I have each been working on our Masters Degrees at UNO.  I have been coaching at one of the inner city high schools (Omaha South High School) here in the metro, mentoring at-risk youth from 2009 to the present. My wife teaches English to refugees for Lutheran Family Services in Omaha and is also an Adjunct English faculty instructor for Metropolitan Community College. She plans to go with me to South Sudan and bring educational materials to teach English. She also plans on creating educational materials in both English (the global language of power) and tribal languages (Nuer, Dinka, and Shilluk) to balance the power-relationships and promote social equality.  We are both going there with an increased awareness, desiring to learn from the people of South Sudan. Last but not least, we will both be advocating for Southern Sudanese voices, so they can share their stories.  Documenting the stories (ethically) of those we come in contact with will help to balance the power-relationships that are currently in place.  The power-relationships will be neutralized by helping Sudanese tell their own stories, many that currently do not have access to resources to tell their stories due to the inability to read and write or lack of access to digital literacy.  

            While we are both in South Sudan, Michaela’s mother and father (Mike and Cheryl Freeman) have generously offered to watch Gloria for the one month Michaela is gone. Michaela and I will have made daily pre-recorded videos (mommy and daddy conversations, reading time, singing, etc) for Mike and Cheryl to show Gloria so she can still be able to “see us,” helping to ease the transition of being away. The videos will be especially helpful when we do not have access to the Internet in South Sudan, yet desire to maintain communication with Gloria. Michaela will be staying May-June and I will stay an extra two months (May-August) to finish my time with my mom and family and spend time at the refugee camps. I am blessed to have gained great in-laws (Mike and Cheryl Freeman, siblings Miriam (and husband Jordan), Gabe (and spouse Kamala), Faith, and grandparents Jim and Sharon Freeman) during my life and am thankful for their unending love and support.

            This is a simple abstract of my life’s journey. What’s next? I don’t know, but I believe and have faith that the next chapter of my life will be amazing and astounding. 

            It happened so fast (fleeing South Sudan), and there were no good-byes. After growing in my faith and into a mature man, those who are still alive deserve to see the little boy they once knew, now fully grown, strong, and determined.  Reuniting with my family and giving back to my community is one of the most powerful ways that makes every struggle, hardship, strife, and sacrifice 100% worth it in the end.  I am running my race and pray that you will support me.

Underlying Issues in South Sudan and How I Experienced the Aftereffects

            “Why Me?” That is the question that always roams my mind as I sit and reminisce during the spare time I have amidst my busy life. I left South Sudan twenty plus years ago by force, not by choice. The root of this conflict began during the colonization of Africa by western European nations in the 1800’s. Western European nations also colonized South America, Central America, and most of Asia. That is the reason many countries in these continents have unstable governments and feeble education systems (unlike the United States and Western Europe). Sudan was colonized by Great Britain, the country in which ruled over the indigenous (my ancestors) until 1956.  The indigenous were composed of original tribes such as Nuer, Dinka, Shilluk, and dozens of others. In 1956, the British left Sudan but handed the authority to Arab traders from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and many Middle Eastern nations to rule over the indigenous tribes. Once these nomadic traders got power over the resources, they got help from the Middle East (Arab nations/Muslim world) with weapons and they forced the indigenous population to the southern part, which is now known as South Sudan. The indigenous tribes were defending their lives and tried to end the injustice, discrimination, oppression, and this is when the longest civil war started. The primary conflict between the Arabs and indigenous occurred over who would control the natural resources. Growing older and wiser, I personally came to learn that oil is what drove the Arab settlers to massacre the native people and some of my family members during the civil war. Power struggles over resources in general contributes to violence all over the globe because resources are necessary for countries’ economies to thrive. And if oil is up for grabs, nations will interfere by bringing a country to its’ knees, causing it to look for support and in-return giving oil. This conflict had so many aftereffects and impacted hundreds of thousands of people for years.  It is the underlying reason as to why I was separated from my mother and all of my relatives without good-byes. Children and babies of all ages were left wandering the land alone after their parents were massacred, and parents had to watch their loved ones starve to death when they were forced to flee without food, shelter, and basic necessities to live. During the last twenty years that I’ve been away, I’ve lost more relatives in the course of this civil war, including most of my uncles (my mother’s brothers). My brother was killed in 2005 and my cousin was just killed in August of 2014. The toll keeps adding up, but the pain and loss I’ve been through has been re-directed into motivation and a strong drive to return to my temporary home.

            During the continuity of the civil war, my aunt was the closest person I could cling to at that moment in order to survive. My aunt and I escaped the violence of South Sudan and took a long journey by foot to Gambella, Ethiopia, where we camped there for few months to rest before our migration to Kenya. On our way to Kenya, the security guards stopped us and they put us in jail for two weeks until we paid the money they demanded. We went to IFO Dadaab refugee camp right outside the city of Nairobi, Kenya. At the camp, we relied on the United Nations for food, water, and all of our basic needs. Life there was really harsh; different nationalities fought everyday over resources, people died from hunger due to scarcity of food, illnesses spread, and some committed suicide because they had lost every ounce of hope.

My Favorite Memories in South Sudan

            Before fleeing the country, I recall many enjoyable memories during my childhood in South Sudan. The land I left behind was filled with lush green plants, a mass forest, and savanna. Besides the beautiful blooming atmosphere full of life, there were lakes, ponds, rivers, and especially the Blue Nile River that ran through the heart of the country. While swimming in the Nile, I didn’t fear being eaten by hippos, snakes, or crocodiles.  I didn’t think about how people used the Nile for everything; bathing, washing, dumping dead bodies during the previous wars, or that I was at risk for drowning. I was fearless and that was my oasis. 

            I was raised in a culture where livestock and traditional agriculture farming were the essential ways of survival. I assisted my family in making Nuer traditional houses.  I knew how to care for cows and goats.  I knew how to build a fire, burn the cow dung, and use it as an insect-repellent. There were so many natural skills that I was taught growing up, and valid literacies that I am grateful for.  Most dear to me, I remembered playing with my brothers, friends, sitting in the river shore, and making clay objects while tending to the livestock. God’s beautiful nature was in my own backyard.

Omaha as a Popular Home for Sudanese Refugees

            The civil war killed and displaced hundreds of thousands of Sudanese across the globe. As a result, there is a mass population of Sudanese in the United States (in Atlanta, GA; San Diego, CA; Fargo, ND; Minneapolis, MN; Omaha/Lincoln, NE; Nashville, TN; and Des Moines, IA). Omaha has one of the largest Sudanese populations compared to all of the other states because of the living environment, availability of labor jobs, and also because families want to live close to their friends and community members . The majority of these Sudanese came from refugee camps, just like me (located in Chad, Ethiopia, and Kenya, Africa). These individuals and families came over here for a better life, seeking opportunities, and a chance to start over. The parents are encouraging their children to pursue education as the most crucial priority because that was something they didn’t have access to in South Sudan. These parents come over here and are often seen as illiterate because they cannot read or write and because their literacies in farming, midwifery, or agriculture are not seen as valid.  Education in Sudan was only given to the Arabs or those that could afford it. The languages in power were Arabic and English. Indigenous languages (Nuer, Dinka, Shilluk, etc) were not used in educational textbooks and are currently not included or documented even to this very day.  It seems that this strategy (seeking education to pave the way to opportunity) is not progressing in a positive direction because many Sudanese children here in Omaha lack hope. Throughout the years, there have been many Sudanese children who get caught up in illegal activities and end up in jail. They join gangs because they seek a support system and long for a sense of belonging.   I know this because in this season of my own life, I am actively involved in these children’s lives as a coach, counselor, mentor, role model, friend, and also a big brother they can always lean on when times are hard. The majority of these children I come in contact with on a daily basis are; raised by single parents or parents that are busy, working low-paying hard labor jobs, come from broken homes, are in economic crises, and are from the most violent parts of Omaha. All of these factors add up and in result, these children have encountered and experienced all sorts of problems because they are exposed to them on a daily basis. As a coach who is currently involved in their lives, it is my duty to empower and encourage them to focus on education, sports, and other positive outlets because these tools will help them thrive in life, as they have helped me.

My Education, Intentions, and Detailed Plans in Traveling to South Sudan

            I achieved a high school diploma from Burke High School. I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Omaha with a Bachelors Degree in History (Minor in Geography).  I am currently a graduate student pursuing a dual Masters Degree (in Social Work and Public Administration). I am extremely proud to be a first-generation graduate of all of the above. After lacking access to education growing up, it is clear I desire to learn everything I can at school, despite it taking extra work to perform at a high level of achievement.

            When I get to South Sudan, I will spend most of my time with my mother, of whom I have not seen in two decades, as well as catching up with family members. I will volunteer at Warbek school, a non-profit school (preschool, elementary, and high school), established to educate children residing in this region of the state that do not often get access to education. The government of South Sudan is currently not providing equal access to education for the children of South Sudan. The ministers who are in charge often use the money for education in the government unwisely. It is clear that the education system in South Sudan is not strong because the administrators and ministers working in the country send their children to private boarding schools in the surrounding countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, because they are rich and can afford it. The children, whose parents are poor, grow up without access to education. Warbek School was founded because the locals got together, funded aide workers from abroad (and natives of the town that had some education), and asked them to educate the children because it was a need. On top of not knowing English, the majority is illiterate (literacy as in the definition of reading and writing) in their own languages of Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk, and other native languages.  Some of these tribal languages still go undocumented and lack written materials in the languages such as dictionaries, books, and textbooks.  This widens the gap of access to education even more.

            Along with helping to strengthen the education system in a remote area, which is a need, I would like to bring basic sports equipment too if I have enough funding and support.  This would consist of equipment such as a few soccer balls to distribute among the children to play with. Some of these children have never even seen a real soccer ball. During my childhood growing up, my friends and I used to make soccer balls from old dirty socks and we kicked it around for many hours while being barefoot. These children still face similar challenges that I did, and are held back by obstacles, not having access to things like soccer balls or shoes, that can help them have fun on their playground (i.e. a dirt field). The underlying purpose behind the soccer matches is to promote unity among people of different tribes. It also brings hope to the youth enduring much hardship. It has the potential to heal community relations in post-war-torn South Sudan.

            While there, I will visit refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. There is a mass number of people that came to find refuge here in these camps that are in need of hope despite the turmoil in South Sudan since the most recent massacre in December 2013. There are a lot of fights between different tribes and ethnic groups at the camps that do not see eye to eye due to the massacre that took place in Juba. There has been a huge blame placed on one another between tribes and this has been destroying relationships amongst communities in South Sudan. During my time there, I will encourage them to work together to overcome these trials they are facing at the camps. I am hoping to make a positive impact in my community because I have been in their shoes. I was once a refugee like them and hopefully my testimony will result in empowerment.

My Call

            Please join me in any way you can as I continue my journey back home; to reunite with my family and friends again, to promote equal access to education, to provide them with sports equipment as a positive outlet while coping with mental/emotional/physical struggles and promote unity among tribes, to speak hope to those in refugee camps, and to ultimately give back to my home country.  Looking back, I can see God’s hand over my life and I know that I am still alive for a reason.  Hundreds of thousands (many nameless and left without identification) have lost their lives due to the conflict in South Sudan, while many still survive for a purpose yet still to be discovered.  We are left to tell our stories and to dedicate our lives toward the mission of the healing, hope, restoration, and empowerment of the Sudanese community.  I am humbly asking for your prayers and support to make this trip a reality and memorable event. Thank you for listening and God bless.

Sincerely,

Ruey Kong Dei (Former Sudanese Refugee, MA of SOWK/PA Grad Student, and Friend/Coach/Mentor)


TRIP COSTS: May-August
*2 Adult Plane Tickets: $5,000
*Food/Shelter, Basic Survival Equipment, Sports Equipment, Education Materials, and Inner-Country Travel Costs (will be by boat, truck, canoe, or foot): $2,000
TRIP TOTAL = $7,000