Community Corner

Genocide Survivor Speaks to Cheshire Students (Video)

When he was just 12-years-old, El-Fadel Arbab had to escape a horrific attack on his village in Darfur. He now tells his story each year to Cheshire students.

Students may have seen news reports about the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, but few could have understood the depth of the suffering until they heard it first hand from a survivor.

El-Fadel Arbab, now 24, has visited Dodd Middle School for the past three years as part of an educational unit on the Holocaust. After speaking at Dodd on Monday morning, Arbab brought his message to Cheshire High School that afternoon. The Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) event was organized by Sharon Powers, STAND's advisor and world history teacher.

This year's Holocaust program at Dodd involved the "purple team" of 100 students, said Lauren Kempton, a University of New Haven professor who organizes Arbab's visits.

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"It's an intense, month-long study. They have a poetry slam and they created a video about genocide," Kempton said.

"The news is about numbers. This is a more emotional connection," said Phoebe Elume, co-president of Cheshire High School's STAND organization.

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"Since 2004, tyrants have been attacking civilians (in Darfur). It's the most bloody event since World War II," said Kevin Briskin, co-president of STAND, a student-led division of the Genocide Intervention Network. It promotes international protection of civilians from genocidal violence. 

In his presentation at the high school, Arbab explained how the genocide began and continues to this day. He said the name "Janjaweed," is the local name for the Darfur militias. It means "devils on horseback," Arbab said. "They are paid by stealing from villagers."

The village elders, Arbab said, taught the children how to safely get away from the machete-toting Janjaweed. He was 12-years-old when his village was attacked and burned to the ground. 

Arbab said he walked for a week toward a light he could see when he climbed trees at night. Once he arrived in the town, Arbab befriended another boy and found work as a dishwasher. "I worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day for about $5 a month," he said.

Arbab said he heard that he might be able to find his family members if he went to Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

With money he earned and some given to him by his new friend, Arbab was able to buy a ticket to take a lorry, or truck, to Khartoum. It took 12 days, he said.

"It was worse than in Darfur," Arbab said of the capital city. "We got food from the trash. I finally found some 'lost boys' who spoke my language," he said. "Kids have nightmares and cry day and night."

One day at a market, Arbab said he heard other refugees talk about his village. He was told some family members were in Egypt and had been trying to find him. 

But, Arbab also heard that his mother was still in the Darfur countryside in a refugee camp. After living for more than three years on the streets in Khartoum, Arbab was about 15 when he went back to Darfur to find his mother. 

Once Arbab and his mother were reunited, they made their way to Egypt where it took nearly five years to receive approval to immigrate to the United States. Arbab's brother, who had settled in Portland, Maine, was able to bring Arbab and his mother to New England in 2004.

"I started speaking about my experience as a survivor. I don't want any kids to go through this," Arbab said. "My goal is to go to all 50 states and educate middle school and high school students. I hope they become human rights activists. Education is everything," he said.

Arbab hopes the United State government will provide military action in Darfur to protect the villagers. "There should be more UN Peacekeepers. Put more pressure on the Sudanese," he said.

To learn more about Arbab's work on behalf of the Darfur people, go to: www.furculturalrevival.org. Click here for information on STAND.


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