Writing Feedback / I will be someone someday as my father wanted me to! [NEW]

Tut Gai
11/22/1980
Essays Topic B
Under tree classroom

My parents were cattle headers and farmers neither of them ever attended school, but I learned that my father wanted to send me to school so I can become not the same person he is. But unfortunately, as the civil war in South Sudan goes on my village was attacked and I lost members of my family including my father who was killed. Suddenly I end up in a refugees Camp in Ethiopia together with a large numbers of lost kids known as 'Sudanese Lost Boys" where I first started school in under tree class room.

At age of sixth before I become a "Lost Boy" I remember one of my conversation with my father, he told me that he will sell all his cattle someday to pay for my schooling. He goes on and tells me some example of how life could be different if he were educated. First he said with education you can be a pilot, drive a car, Motor boats, talking in the radio, those sound awesome to me and become a plan to me. And then he concluded with "and there are some more good things" he pick only what he knows that I like to capture my attention.

As a "Lost Boy" or an orphan war child I started my school under the tree class room in refugees' camp in Ethiopia camp run by UNHCR in late 1980th. In the beginning we don't have exercise books, black boards, chalks. The first blackboard I ever seen was a skin of an animal, the teacher was writing on it with a piece of charcoal, while I and other pupils write with our fingers on the dusts. Few months later the "Red Cross" provided some blackboard text books and exercise books but the classes remain under the tree before installing plastic tents.

I came to United States in Jan, 2007 under refugee program sponsored by "World Relief" of Evangelical Church. A huge white snow was on the ground; my host family gave me winter clothes in the airport but it still too cold for me. In the city everything was different, how people talk, make things, and behave. A week later I started attending school in the real class room for the first time in my life different from the one under the tree. And my hope for education started to strengthen. I remember what my father told me about education and I believed that with education I will be someone someday as my father wanted me to.

Undergraduate / Rev. Marial Madut, a person that has impact on my life [NEW]

Rev. Marial Dut has made an impact on my life
Some people come into our lives and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never ever the same. As we go through life, people come and go, but some change us forever. For me, this individual came into my life when I needed him most and for that I can never be thankful enough. He taught me the true meaning of perseverance, hope and forgiveness, no matter how hard or impossible things may seem. Rev. Marial Dut is and forever will be person I am today.

As a 6 years old kid I was a traumatized with the views and Wars scenes. My village was evaded and devastated, I lost from my family and end up in refugees Camp as a "Lost Boy ".My heart was full of hatred toward the enemies that evaded and killed my people. But through the Rev Marial Madut's teaching, I am now a different person forever. First he teaches us how to know that there is God who makes everything happen for a reason. Then he teaches us how to forgive and love our enemy again as it is written in the bible, when he see that doesn't make sense to many of us including me, he goes on and tell us his own tragedy of losing his wife and three kids. And concluded by appreciating how much he is blessed to take care of kids like us.

Another teaching I learned from Rev. Marial Madut was taking care of each other. The entire lost Boy we not the same ages and for that reason, Rev always make sure the younger ones are safe among the elders. The food wasn't enough so he always equally distributed between us. Everyday there is a number of kids joining the camp, Rev always make sure their tents are well installs, clothes because most of them walk naked, gives the sickness ones especial care. During the day time he walks to collect the fire woods in the forest with those who were a little older. One day rebels came a abducted some of the lost boys and recruits them as Child Soldiers, I see depressive in Rev Marial's face.

Rev.Marial was well aware of how we were badly traumatized by war so he worked hard to replace the desperation with hope in our hearts by filling our time with classes, playing soccer and other different games while also communication plays a big role. In his speeches he always reminded us that this war drama will soon be overcome and tell us that we are the generation of that will stop it through education. One of his key successes was how well he speaks many dialects of Southern Sudan tribes that let his communicated well with any individuals.

Always I wanted to be like Rev.Marial and indeed it helped me adopted a positive attitudes of being people person, lover, helpfulness, forgiveness and perseverance