As a lost boy from Sudan, I first came to Maine in 1994, looking for opportunity, dignity and a new way of life. Twenty years later, having benefited from the kindness and generosity of Mainers, I am now dedicating my time and energy in service of others.
This story didn’t have a happy beginning. I am from a war-torn part of Africa, where civil strife cost the lives of millions of people, including my parents, and communities have been destroyed.
By the time I was 17 years old, I had lived in displacement camps inside Sudan, had been jailed by the government in Khartoum, and had escaped and lived in refugee camps in Uganda and Kenya. After years in the camps, I finally made it to America.
Maine was different. Almost immediately, opportunities were presented to me. I joined a local soccer program. It was on the pitch where I made a friend who introduced me to community service and a program called YouthBuild. That day changed the course of my life.
In my country of origin, I was unable to finish my education and completed only 10 years of school. YouthBuild put me on a path to complete my education. I was able to earn a GED diploma and eventually a certificate for construction, opening more doors of opportunity for me.
Because of my service to the community through YouthBuild in the inaugural class of AmeriCorps, at the end of the program I was eligible for an AmeriCorps scholarship, which helped me pay for college. I eventually graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in international relations. Later on, AmeriCorps and YouthBuild USA would open another door, providing a scholarship I used to help me earn a master’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
These opportunities were afforded me in exchange for working in service of others. After graduation, I returned to Portland, where I volunteered in the Sudanese community. I helped Sudanese file for green cards, taught citizenship classes, was an adult education volunteer teacher, established youth soccer teams and helped write resumes.
I also helped Sudanese women get their driver’s permits, and most important, file financial aid and college applications. In 2004, just 10 years after arriving in the United States, I volunteered on a national presidential campaign and voted for the very first time in my life.
Eighteen years after arriving here, I went back to Sudan to start a youth development project modeled after YouthBuild. South Sudan Youth Foundation engages young war-affected ex-combatants in reconciliation, conflict resolution and reconstruction of the country through building and construction. At the same time, the youths are provided basic education, job training and leadership practice and are exposed to entrepreneurship.
Initially, the pilot project was designed for 15 students, but it is very popular and has received a tremendous number of applicants. While in South Sudan, I continued to serve others by volunteering as a high school teacher; I also helped establish the South Sudan Human Rights Commission.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of President Clinton’s founding of AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service. Over those two decades, more than 900,000 Americans, including more than 5,600 Mainers, have raised their hand to work in service of others. Like me, most earn a modest education stipend for volunteering and making a difference in their communities. And like me, many have carried on their commitment to service even after completing the program.
A few years ago, Congress passed the Serve America Act, which expanded these important programs and would extend the reach and impact of these dedicated volunteers. However, a political stalemate has prevented the kind of expansion of these important service programs that our communities need.
Communities in Maine and across the country that are working to overcome community challenges, recover from natural disasters or improve opportunity for their citizens could use the energy and sweat from the YouthBuild AmeriCorps members to achieve these goals.
It’s time to move forward and invest in community and national service and give other Mainers the same opportunities provided to me 20 years ago by the perfect combination of YouthBuild and AmeriCorps.
— Special to the Press Herald
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