The
Catholic Weekly
Online
Sydney
11 January 2004
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HSC
pupils in top class
Trinity
students credit teachers
What
will they do now?
Catholic
all-rounder students in HSC 2003
Catholic
teachers’ pay rise welcomed
Vows
revisited 68 years on
Heroes
of the Vatican
Grow
grows too well
Staff,
residents believed in me
Sharing
our vulnerability
Pregnant
Pause
World
Youth Day
Graham
Andrews learns by teaching
Timor ‘sister’ parish
plan for St Canice’s
Symbols
of belief
A
conversation with ... Piers Paul Read, biographer of Sir Alec Guinness
Out
of Africa – with hope
Visit
to husband landed Anna in jail
Where
do teens see God?
Sparked
by ‘tongue of fire’
Parish honours ‘linchpin’ of
Vinnies conference
Maria finds family link in UK college
The day Br Nicholas dropped the pin
Visit to husband landed Anna in jail
My name is Anna Dimo. In Sudan I was a teacher for five years and a headmistress for one year.
My school was a Catholic school which was near an Islamic school. The government closed our school and told all the children to go to the Islamic school. They were supposed to become Muslims.
Because I was a teacher I was accused of being against the government. They tried to put me into prison.
So I took my four children and three other children to Egypt. We went by train.
My brother-in-law died and I took his body back to Khartoum. I went into big trouble. I stayed with my husband for one month. One day some government spies came and took me to prison. They said I was a spy.
The prison was a big room with no windows; it was like a big, cold, ice chest. It was cold and dark with no air and no light. We had to go to the toilet there, on the floor. They threw us bread and a little water. I was pregnant, too.
After two months my husband paid the man who put me into prison to let me out. He then paid someone to put me on a plane to Egypt. It was not safe for me to go by train, as the Government wanted to arrest me and put me back in prison.
After I left, those government spies were very angry. They put my husband into jail for one year. I have not seen him since I left Sudan.
In 1993 I gave birth to Achic in Egypt. While I was in Alexandria I was a leader of the Sudanese Women's Group. I worked with them as a volunteer for 11 years, teaching the refugee students, leading prayer groups-and helping with fundraising activities. As well, I took part in sacramental programs.
A friend of my husband sent me forms to come to Australia. In 2000 I arrived in Australia with eight children.
Here in Australia I like it very much because there is no discrimination and human rights are respected. In Sudan I could not get a good job if I am not Muslim, and no good schooling for my children if I am not Muslim.
I am very happy here in Australia but I miss my husband whom I have not seen for several years.
My hopes for the future are that I will meet my husband again, and that my children and I will be able to go to university. I hope, too, that peace will be achieved in Sudan so that our people will get freedom.
I want to thank the Catholic Education Office, the priests and the school principals of the Catholic Church of Sydney, for all that they are doing for our Sudanese children and families. May God bring many blessings on all of these wonderful people.