The King's Connection Magazine Volume 23 Number 3//Spring 2013 | Page 18

Featured article

Students’ Generosity Builds
Community in Sudan,
at King’s and Beyond
T

here is a beautiful moment that is a wonder to behold when people open their hearts to take in and learn from
the experience of their fellow man. In that moment, people
share an authentic connection that changes their world view.
King’s student Arik MonYDhar gave fellow students
the opportunity to experience that moment last fall when
he recounted his life story at King’s weekly chapel service.
Arik’s story is one of brokenness, renewed faith, and, most
importantly, one of unfailing generosity even in the face of
incredible strife.
Arik was one of the lost boys of Sudan.

Life as a lost boy
Living in a small village in South Sudan, Arik (then 12-years-old)
his mother, siblings, and twin brother Kuol, were caught in the
crossfire of civil war. When the conflict landed on the village,
Arik was separated from his family, and he assumed they
were dead. A south Sudanese rebel group came to the village
offering Arik refuge. They armed him and taught him to fend
for himself.
Food was often scarce. Arik and the other lost boys had to hunt
to eat. He recalled one day when he and another boy shot a
gazelle. The other boy wanted them to eat their fill and hide the
rest for future meals, but Arik wanted to invite the other children
to share in the meal together, even if that meant there would be
none for the next day. After some arguing, they all shared the
meal together.
After travelling with the group for almost three and a half years,
Arik was relocated to a refugee camp in Kakuma, Kenya, where
he was reunited with his brother Kuol.
Together again, the brothers rejoiced in their reunion despite
the challenges they continued to face. Food and water in the
refugee camp were scarce, they did not have uniforms to go
to school, and they were always at risk of night raids by a
neighbouring tribe that would rob them of what little food there
was. The only way to survive was to form a co-operative group
to share food, water and whatever else they had. This refugee
family, as Arik calls it, worked together for the next four years in
the camp.

16 /// The King’s Connection /// Spring 2013

Coming to Canada
During their time in the refugee camp, Arik’s older brother
was in Canada and trying to locate his family. He found Kuol
and Arik and started sending money to them. Without even a
second consideration, they shared it with their refugee family,
which helped the group buy food, clothes, shoes and other
necessary items.
In 2004, Arik’s older brother, whom Arik and Kuol had never
met in person, brought the brothers to Canada. With the help
of their older brother, Arik and Kuol, settled into Canadian life,
taking jobs in a factory and sending whatever money they could
back to their refugee family. After some time living in Brooks,
Alberta, Arik and Kuol moved to Edmonton to go to school.
Some education was available in the refugee camp, but with so
much time spent in the rebel camps, Arik needed to upgrade
and improve his English.
In 2012, Arik became a King’s student, starting with English
as a Second Language courses. He found his passion was
for business and enrolled in the commerce program. Kuol
continues to study engineering at the University of Alberta. Both
brothers relentlessly work to support their academic efforts.
Although the refugee camp n ???????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????=??????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????+?q???e????????????????????????????????????t????)
?????5??????Q???]??????q%?????????-???????????????)?????????????-?????????????????e???????????)?????????????????????????
??????????????????????)????????????????Q????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????t()I????????!???)%????????????????????????M????M????????????????)??????-?????????????M???????????????????!????)?????????????????????????????????????????!????????)???????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????q?????????????)???????P?????????????????????????%??????????????????)??????????????t???????)-??????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????M???????????????????????????)??????????()???????-????e???????????????)???e???????????????????????)????????????????a??????)A???d??M?????????????????????????)????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)?????????()?????????????????-??????????????????????????)?????????????????a???????A???d?????????????????)M??????????????????????????Q???????????????)??????????????????????????????????????)M?????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????-????e???????????????)???e????????????????????????????)???????????a???????A???d??M?????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????)Q???????d??????????????????????????
???????)M?????I?????????????Q??????????????????)???M????????????????????????????????)????%??????????????????M?????)??????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????)??????a???????A???d?)?-????e?????e??????????)?????????????????????????)????????????????????????)?????????????????????]???)????????????????????)?????????????????M?????)???????????????????????????)???????????????????????e?)??????????????????????M??????)?????????????????????????)??????????????????????????+?qM??????????!????t?????????)????????????????????????)???????????????????)]?????????????????q??????)?????????-????e?????????Q????)????????????????????????????-???e?)????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????t??
?()????????????-??()5?????????5??????Q???]???()Q???-????e?
?????????????M???????????????((