About Me

My name is Alek Arok. I was born in Sudan, but I moved to Australia in 2008. Before I relocated to Australia. I lived in a Refugee Camp in Kenya. Also, I have lived in different places within Sudan because of a civil war that started in 1983. The war began as a result of the Sudan government trying to impose Sharia laws as a part of its overall policy to “Islamicize” all of Sudan. The Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) was led by revolutionists in the South, a region dominated by Christians and traditional believers. My family came from the south region, which is now known as South Sudan. Before the war, my parents had formed a beautiful family of five children. Sadly, during the war, my parents were separated from us.  I was about four years old then, so young and innocent, I did not learn much about my parents. However, people who knew my father very well described him as a good family man and a unifying figure in his community. Also, my father was a successful businessman who played a big role in his community’s development and welfare.

I have always approached life with serenity and positivity. Considering the chaos life has thrown at me since early childhood, I remain an invaluable person. Along the way, I have developed the following characteristics: my calm attitude and optimism have helped me to overcome many obstacles. My early life was full of hardship as it was extremely challenging to live in a war-torn country and, worst of all, without parents. I vividly remember the hardship I endured when I used to walk for many days and even months to escape war with other people. People could survive with very little or no basic needs for life for some days. In the worst scenario, it was obvious to regularly see and learn about other young children whom I had grown up with that they had passed away as a result of starvation and diseases fuelled by lack of proper Health Care. It was indisputable that I could react to these challenges by drowning in excessive anger, complaint, blaming and self-pity. Thank God, I adopted a persistent hope for the future. A belief that can be well reflected in the proverb, “There is a light at the end of every tunnel”.

My life experiences have also taught me the importance of receiving support from others. Given my age and the severity of the challenges I have faced, if I had relied solely on my own, I would have not survived. However, I was fortunate to receive much-needed support from different angles in my life. Here, I would like to share the roles of my grandmother and (UNHCR) humanitarian services, both have played an important role in my life. Firstly, my grandmother, who was my primary carer, did not only play a great parental role in my life but also instilled in me the importance of serving others. Although I still missed parental love and care in my upbringing, I have chosen to be grateful for the love and care I was receiving from my grandmother. In her capacity, she ensured that my basic needs were met regardless of existing challenges. My grandmother was a devoted Christian, and she put her faith into action by being involved in her church mission, where she volunteered to help others.

Secondly, the United Nations High Commissioner for  Refugees (UNHCR) has been playing a pivotal role in my life; it provides the following: Food, Shelter, education, health, and finally, a safe place that I called home for years. When the war intensified in Sudan then, the children and the women who were the first victims faced precarious lives. They needed a safe place and support. As a result,  the South Sudan liberation leader, the late Dr John Garang de Mabior, UNHCR and the Kenyan government agreed to allow all refugees to pass to Kenya with no issues. UNHCR, the Kenyan government and the Local people of Northern Kenya (Turkana) allowed us to settle in Refugees Camp (Kakuma camp) in 1992. Thereafter, I came to a Kakuma Refugee Camp in 1995, where I lived until 2008. While in the Camp, I felt a sense of security, and I started a normal life routine. For the first time, I went to school for consecutive years, unlike the school I attended in Sudan, where learning was on and off. There was a portion of food given to all residents in the camp every two weeks, although it was not enough, it was much-needed help. people could go to the hospital for minor care, and even in the worst cases, the local hospital could admit urgent medical needs like birth and many more. Life was a little comfortable for me at that stage, but some challenges still existed. Furthermore, the UNHCR formed another agreement with the government of Australia in 2000 to offer an opportunity for some refugees to be resettled permanently in Australia under humanitarian. This enabled me to move to Australia and I have now lived for sixteen years here, where I have established my family and contributed to Australia’s economy. In summary, I have been getting help from many people to get where I am at the moment, and I want to extend the gratitude I received to others.  

My life experiences have been up and down, which have taught me that “what does not kill me makes me stronger”. The strengths I have developed over the years have prepared and helped me to work at various jobs at different levels in supportive services for the past twelve years. I have worked in aged care, community services and the disability sector. I highly value supporting vulnerable people as I have valued the support I have received. I continuously pursue learning to gain more knowledge and skills to be productive in a supportive role. I have completed a Diploma in Nursing and a Certificate III in Age Care, Home, and Community Care. Furthermore, I am pursuing a career in the Human service sector at the University of South Queensland. Therefore, I have all it takes to do good for the community, the country and beyond borders because of my experiences.