Summary

Bol Alcoc Buoi is a former child soldier from south Sudan who sought refuge in Australia in 2003.

A Child Soldier:

Bol Akoc Buoi, of Dinka cultural heritage, is from the Rek section in South Sudan. Although official documents say he is 31, Bol thinks his real age is around 38, although no birth records have survived the decades of civil war in South Sudan to confirm this.

In 1989, at the age of just 11, he was conscripted into the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) in which he served for ten years.

After an argument with his commanding officer, he was ordered to the front lines without a gun. Knowing this was a death sentence, he deserted, was later arrested and then escaped from prison. 'The prison guards do not shoot or stop me. I just walked out, they felt sorry for me...because they knew I was just a young boy.'

Bol finally returned to his village ten years later in 1999.

Village Life:

Bol found it difficult settling into village life, not having been through the cultural rituals he would have if not conscripted. He subsequently went through with his initiation ceremony to signify his coming of age into manhood. With a knife ('Gor') he was marked with a series of straight triangular symmetrical lines on his forehead. Bol remembers:

'If you cried or made the person marking you slip because you frowned with pain or closed your eyes, you were considered a coward. So in order to keep the lines straight and be considered a man, one had to keep ones eyes open, not frown, nor flinch or cry. It was extremely painful".

Arrival in Australia:

When Bol arrived in Australia in 2003, he was put into Grade 9 although he was obviously several years older. He was taller, spoke English with an accent and looked very different to his peers. 'I was laughed at, but I did not give up.' After getting an advanced diploma after high school, he received a degree in banking and finance from Victoria University. After a contract with a major Australian bank he completed his MBA (Master of Business Administration) in 2018.

Challenges of Re-Settlement:

Although achieving a great deal, often defying the odds stacked against him, the reality of corporate life as well as fitting into a new culture, is daunting and can take its toll. Bol finds many employees do not have the patience for workers whose English is their second language, and whose employment experience is relatively low. Bol asks: 'Where are we expected to get a start then?'

Bol has seen these high expectations sometimes drive qualified and capable South Sudanese people back to their home country. He reflects that: 'It can also affect our kids, they see so many of us with all these degrees on the walls in the sitting rooms, yet no permanent job. They begin to question even the value of education in the first place. The current trend of South Sudanese youth violence in Victoria and other parts of Australia is an example of what I am talking about.'

Sharing His Story:

Bol finished writing a book about his life 'Beyond the Nile River: the story of an undeterred child soldier in quest for education & hope for Sudan.' He hopes to find an editor and publisher so that these child soldier stories become better known. Bol states: 'I'm extremely grateful to Australia for giving me a chance at a new start in life, with new opportunities'.

Bol returned to South Sudan to visit family in 2019 and was unable to return to Australia for three years due to the pandemic international border closures; one of many experiences of Australian citizens who were unable to return home during this time. He finally returned in 2022 and is now working as a Correctional Case Officer in New South Wales.

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