Dominic Diing, Buffalo, New York
Timeline of His Journey
Began from his village Makuach-Ethiopia-Sudan-Kenya. 14 Months. 3000 Miles
· 1983
The beginning of Sudan Civil War. The longest civil war that destroyed Dominic’s region most due presence of railroad line from north to South and border of western Sudan (Darfur). As soon as the war started, Dominic’s village suffered most from all the attacks
· 1987
War in Southern Sudan. Sudan government troops attack many villages, including Deng’s village taking children for slavery marketing, burning down houses, taking cattle, and killing many adult males. Dominic, who is only 7, escapes in the middle of the night with his brothers and a few young boys from his village. No one in his immediate family is with him. A few days later he met
· 1987
Walk from Sudan to Ethiopia. Dominic walked many miles across Sarah Desert, rivers, forests, along with more than 30,000 other displaced people and walks to Ethiopia. The walk took about 2 months to arrive to Ethiopia. Many people die along the way due to lack of food, water, fatigue or dehydration, illness, wild animals, and local people attacking and killing.
· 1987-1991
Refugee camp in Ethiopia. Dominic lives in a camp with thousands of boys and others. Dominic began his education and became a child soldier. The first time in his life to bury dead bodies of his ages. He called this tragic “8 buries 15”. What does it means ? He will you more in his book
· 1991
War in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government is overthrown by rebels. The refugee camp was attacked and Dominic his friends ran away again and walked many miles in dangerous forests, across the desert, and rivers.
· 1991-1992
Walk from Ethiopia to Kenya. Dominic and others who escaped the attacks and walked miles across the desert into Northern Kenya. The trek takes about a year and is very dangerous. Many people die of starvation, disease, violence and attacks by wild animals.
· 1992-2001
Refugee Camp in Kenya. Dominic along with 25,000 boys arrived in Kenya. UN provided them food and education. Dominic attends school from fifth grade through high school and teachers training in the camp. In 1998, media focuses attention on the plight in Africa and the US government begins to take action.
His Career: After he completed 4 years secondary school education, Dominic attended teachers training institute within the camp and he began his teaching career at age 18 in 1998 in Kenya. He taught about 60 % of the lost boys and girls in the US and still refugee camps
· 2001-2006
Dominic is selected to come to US. After 3 interviews and a lengthy screening process, Dominic is approved to come to the United States along with more than 5,000 other “Lost Boys and girls of Sudan”. Dominic, age 21 arrives in Syracuse, New York with about 160 other boys. In 37 days of his arrival in the US, he attended Onondaga Community College for Blue Print and Industrial Reading. Dominic attended Syracuse in 2002 studies doubled major in education and economic but transferred to Niagara University in 2004. In 2006, Dominic graduated from Niagara University with a major in Commerce. Dominic currently attends graduate school at American Public University pursuing maters of education
· 2006-2007
Two months before he graduated from college, Dominic was inspired by Larry Jones Documentary programs about people in Sudan. A peace treaty is signed in 2005 ending the civil war in Sudan. In June 2006, Dominic founded an aid organization aims to help orphans, abandoned children, women, and communities in his country. Officially incorporated in 2007, Aid and Care becomes a public charitable organization and began to help people in Southern Sudan and Rwanda. Please visit website http://www.aidandcareforafrica.org
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· 2007-2009
Dominic’s vision reached out to his village. Dominic collects money from local communities and churches to build clinics, schools, and clean water for massive returning internal and external displaced people in his country. With his help, clinics and existing schools have been repaired. He is currently raising money to help build Orphanage Home and Nutrition center and primary school in his state Aweil, Southern Sudan
· 2009-2010
Dominic plans to build a secondary school in his village where education opportunity is yet to be born. In the summer of 2009, AID and CARE and its partners, and villagers completed construction of a New Hope primary school in the village of Mabior, Southern Sudan. Besides, Orphanage Home and Nutrition Center is now construction and hope to finish before the end of 2010. New Hope Secondary School is a new proposed project which its construction will begin as soon as the cost of ground breaking and foundation is achieved. We are currently campaigned to $175,000.
22 years away from home! The young man is sick of missing his loved mother and siblings. Dominic plans to return to his village to reunite with his mother who has adopted 34 orphans in Southern Sudan and also to oversee the work of the organization in the areas we work. Dominic is now waiting for his visa to travel to Africa.
His returning home means a lot in his life, to his family and community and as well to organization. He called this Journey “Bringing Hope Back Home Journey”. Trip is tentatively scheduled to take in June 2011. Dominic whose his village boys have already returned home find their village in poor condition with no clean water, no roads and no school and general starvation. Dominic, once he returns home next year, he vows to return to his village every summer to help run schools and orphanage center.
There is an appealing for Dominic and the organization. Dominic needs help to help his people in Sudan and other areas in Africa. Dominic is now raising fund to construction orphanage and secondary school in his village.
You can help by inviting him to speak to your group, church, schools or even share his life story with your family. Dominic has been speaking advocate since he arrived in the United States. He has been actively speaking how he survived war, hidden genocide in Sudan, child soldier, life in refugee camps, humanitarian crisis, and dream to pay back to his best phrase: my community, my country, and my world. Some of his quotations include:
“If we can work together and obtain support we need, we can make a huge difference not just in the lives of the most abandoned children and orphans in Sudan but we also move beyond Sudan".
Dominic’s journey as one of the Lost Boys of Sudan is a life vision to payback to his community.
If you want to speak with Dominic or invite him to speak to your group, please email him via 3d1979@live.com or send your request directly to my email above.
