Sudanese man comes to the US for a better education

10:01 PM February, 12 2017

Sudanese Online
Associated Press-
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GRAND ISLAND (AP) — Mugahid Belil is living his American dream.

Tracy Noble, his tutor from the Literacy Council of Grand Island, said Belil is also working hard to fulfill his American dream, which is a slightly different thing.

Belil is a native of Sudan, but unlike many Sudanese who now live in Grand Island, he did not come to the United States as a refugee. Belil said he was living in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, which is now separate from South Sudan, which gained its independence in July 2011. Since then, South Sudan has plunged into armed conflict between rival political factions, while Sudan has remained peaceful.

As a result, Belil and his family came to the United States through the regular immigration process, not as refugees fleeing their country for fear of being persecuted or killed. When asked why he wanted to come to America, Belil immediately mentioned the opportunity to get a better education. The second thing he mentioned was the chance to enjoy a higher standard of living.

Finally, he mentioned the opportunity to send money back to Sudan to help family members who still live there. Having relatives who live halfway around the world in Sudan is definitely the hardest thing about Belil’s decision to come to the United States. “I miss my family,” he said.

When they flew from Sudan to the United States in 2015, Belil said his wife, Arsala, and their young daughter, first arrived in New York City, where they stayed for just three days before heading out to Grand Island. He said he believes immigration officials sent him to Grand Island because they know the city has a large Sudanese population, which would help make the transition to the U.S. much easier. Immigration officials also know that the presence of JBS means that Belil likely would be able to find work soon after his arrival.

Belil said that after his short stay in New York City, he and his family, as well as eight other Sudanese immigrants, got into a rented van together and drove all the way out to Grand Island. “We followed the (road) map,” he said. After arriving in town, Belil found a place to live and quickly got a job working at JBS, where he did packaging.

Belil said that when he and the others made their journey from New York City, all he knew about Grand Island that it was in this place called Nebraska. He said he found the city a little strange and different from the life he had known in Khartoum. One big thing in Grand Island’s favor, Belil said, is that it did not take him long to learn the city’s streets, so he could drive around town to get to the places he needed to go.

A little over three months ago, Belil got a job as a swing shift custodian at Grand Island Senior High. He pointed out that he’s just passed his three-month probationary period, an achievement marked by the fact he now has his own work shirt with his first name stitched above the pocket.

“I like working here very much,” said Belil, who noted he enjoys the company of his co-workers. He also likes working around high school students.

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Belil stays busy even outside of his job. He began learning English by going to ESL — English as a second language — classes offered by Central Community College at College Park. But Belil found it difficult to learn the new language as quickly as he wanted when he was part of a large class. As a result, he made a connection with the Literacy Council of Grand Island, where Tracy Noble already had been tutoring his wife, Arsala, in English. Noble agreed to also tutor Belil as he learned to speak, read and write English.

Belil still goes to College Park four mornings a week to learn English, getting lessons from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on two days and getting slightly longer lessons, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., on the other two days. Belil and Arsala then go to the library on weekends to receive tutoring from Noble. He is also taking a computer class online from Central Community College.

Belil said his online course materials makes it extremely important for him to learn English, so he can read and understand the material when he is on his own and does not have the help of someone like Noble.

As for Noble, she said that Belil “is extraordinary as an individual who understands that English is what he needs to succeed in this county. This is a man who wants to learn 24/7 . He does workbooks independently, he’s online. He goes above and beyond.”

أبرز عناوين سودانيز اون لاين صباح اليوم الموافق 11 فبراير 2017

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