By Kassondra Granata
William Dhal came to New Haven not knowing his real name, his birthdate or the location of his parents.
Dhal is one of the 20,000 boys of the Nuer and Dinka ethnic groups who were displaced or orphaned during the Second Sudanese War (1983-2005) where about 2.5 million were killed and millions displaced.
Dhal was separated from his family around the age of seven and traveled by foot across three countries to seek refuge, eventually reaching Ethiopia. Over half of the orphans died along their journey due to starvation, dehydration, sickness and disease or attack by wild animals and enemy soldiers. Experts say they are the most badly war-traumatized children ever examined.
After several years in Ethiopia, Dhal was displaced again and found himself in Kenya where he began to get his early formal education.
“I didn’t know if my family was dead or alive,” Dhal said. “I quickly began to take advantage of educating myself, to make my life better.”
Dhal arrived to the United States at the estimated age of 16 with the help of the UNICEF program, “The Lost Boys of Sudan.” Dhal immediately took an opportunity to receive an education at Gateway Community College, earning an associate’s degree prior to continuing his studies at CCSU.
Dhal will be graduating this May with a degree in economics and a minor in finance. He currently works overnight shifts at Target in order to pay his expenses.
African American Studies Professor Stephen Balkaran, met Dhal several years ago when he was enrolled in one of his courses and has been his mentor ever since.
“His story goes beyond borders, wars and college success, he constantly reminds me of the opportunities presented to him in America,” Balkaran said. “He came to America without knowing his real birthday, his age, any of that. The United States gave that information to him.”
Balkaran said that being his mentor also reminded him that he did not face the same warfare that Dhal had faced.
“We both share an arrival in a strange country,” said Balkaran, who immigrated from the Carribbean. “But William arrived without any family and friends, and I learned from his life and mine that life in America can be just as difficult as any war torn country.”
Dhal hopes to carry on his career to become a teacher, and hopes to go back to Sudan and see what has happened since he left many years ago. In returning to Sudan, he hopes to find out if his family is still alive.
Dhal has a girlfriend, and said that he would like to marry her someday. In the Dinka tradition, it is customary to ask both sides of the family for permission and to accept and give a dowry. Dhal said an example would be 100 cows.
Since Dhal does not know if his parents, or his girlfriend’s family, he needs to go back to Sudan to find them. Dhal did not wish to give the name of his significant other.
“I still have hope,” Dhal said. “I still have hope that they are alive, and I want to see my old home and talk to the people there and find out what has happened and tell them my story.”
Balkaran said that mentorship and believing in students can play an immense role in enabling them to achieve their goal. Balkaran has nominated Dhal for the President’s Citation Award for this year and recently wrote a letter of recommendation to President Miller.
“William shares his CCSU experience with great admiration and immense support from faculty and staff,” said Balkaran. “His relationship with the School of Business and his new friends and mentors made CCSU a safe and a trustworthy new home. William also wants to give back to the CCSU community. He is an admirable man and deserves this more than anyone.”