Refugee Monologue

When I came to Australia I had to leave behind my mother and two brothers, they are still in the refugee camp in Chad, neighbouring Sudan, where I spent 14 months before my papers were finalized to come to Australia. My family and I had been forced into the refugee camp in February 2004 when my father was killed by pro-government Arab militia, called the Janjaweed, who were carrying out massacres against black Muslims in my home of Darfur in western Sudan. They called these killings “ethnic cleansings”. We, at least, were lucky enough to escape to a refugee camp in bordering Chad. Conditions in the camps were terrible. Far from being safe in the camps, I watched as people around me died of fevers, wound infection, starvation and malaria. There
To get refugee status you have to apply in a foreign aid tent near by the camp. There were always big lines and it could take days just to get your turn. Once you have your name down it takes a lot of paper work for the foreign aid workers to try and collect every ones details and see if you are eligible for refugee status. They conduct routine medical examinations there on the ones who are able to be placed in other countries to make sure that they are not carrying any diseases. My mother and brothers paper work took longer than mine, although they would not say why. I had to choose if I wanted to take what could be my only chance to get out of there, when they told me there was an opportunity for me to be placed in Australia. Only a select number of people are able to be taken, and Australia was said to be a very nice place, safe, but I did not want to leave my family. I decided I would rather stay and continue to look after my family but my mother told me I had to go. Chances like this do not come back again she said. I feel very guilty that I am here in Australia while I do not know if my family is safe or even alive back in the refugee camp in