Arek Anyiel Deng was captured at age ten from her home in Malualbai, South Sudan. She was taken by an Arab militiaman who forced her to be his slave. He even changed her name to a Muslim name, when she refused the name change he beat her. Arek realized she had to comply to his wishes or she would be killed. Thus, at age 12 he raped her and over the 18 years she was a slave, she gave birth to 4 children. Daily tasks Arek was forced to do on top of taking care of the children were tending to the field, cattle, and chopping fire wood. When these tasks weren’t carried out properly they were beaten.
She was soon rescued and brought back to Sudan only life didn’t prove to be much better. The struggles of doing all the work herself were still present and things like chopping fire wood still needed to be done by Arek because there were no men around. She dreams of being able to open her own tea shop in the market place but has no money to do so, therefore she sells firewood she gathers from the forest.
The children are allowed to go to school even though they cannot afford the uniforms but soon didn’t want to go because they were the only ones without uniforms. Where they live Arab is the main language but the children have learned to speak a Dinka through the children’s group there. Life is proved to be unsteady but Arek is just thankful she is no longer a slave to the militiaman and can provide for her children.
This news piece, “Sudan ex-slave” was a video I found off of the BBC News website. I wasn’t going to write about it at first but after I watched it I thought it was interesting because I was/am totally oblivious to how slavery is still affecting many people around the world. Even though it is no longer legal in the United States, it still happens. The use of slavery is still lingering from times like the Atlantic Slave trade.
She was soon rescued and brought back to Sudan only life didn’t prove to be much better. The struggles of doing all the work herself were still present and things like chopping fire wood still needed to be done by Arek because there were no men around. She dreams of being able to open her own tea shop in the market place but has no money to do so, therefore she sells firewood she gathers from the forest.
The children are allowed to go to school even though they cannot afford the uniforms but soon didn’t want to go because they were the only ones without uniforms. Where they live Arab is the main language but the children have learned to speak a Dinka through the children’s group there. Life is proved to be unsteady but Arek is just thankful she is no longer a slave to the militiaman and can provide for her children.
This news piece, “Sudan ex-slave” was a video I found off of the BBC News website. I wasn’t going to write about it at first but after I watched it I thought it was interesting because I was/am totally oblivious to how slavery is still affecting many people around the world. Even though it is no longer legal in the United States, it still happens. The use of slavery is still lingering from times like the Atlantic Slave trade.
photograph source: BBC News
(this photograph is a picture of what type of hut Arek lived in)
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