Sudanese Center to open in Naperville
Malual Awak still remembers what it was like leaving his war-torn home in Sudan in the 1990s to start a new life in the United States.
Everything was new for the 25-year-old - the language, the food, the culture.
"Coming to a new environment, you don't know anybody," he said. "You don't have immediate family members. Everything is from the beginning, starting life over. Life is very difficult."
Awak, now president of the Sudanese Community Association of Illinois, is hoping to give others who are still fleeing Sudan the assistance they need to thrive in their new country.
To that end, the association's new Sudanese Community Center officially will open its doors Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 131 W. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Naperville.
"It's important, I think, to show the world that this is a joint project and that it's a great thing that here in DuPage we have such a great ... cooperation between Sudanese neighbors and folks that may never have been to Sudan but understand the tragedy that went on there and want to help," said Sean Tenner, a member of the center's board of directors.
The country long has been in a state of turmoil plagued by a civil war that has killed more than 2 million people and genocide in the Darfur region that has killed about 300,000 and displaced roughly 2.5 million.
More than 1,000 Sudanese people have fled to the Chicago area with the help of churches and other agencies and many of them now reside in DuPage County where they are legal residents, according to Tenner. Among them are "Lost Boys" who, as young children in the late 1980s, walked thousands of miles to escape the violence.
The new community center will be nondenominational and staffed by both Sudanese and American volunteers and employees. While it will not provide most services itself, it will link Sudanese refugees with agencies that provide day care, health care, transportation, education and job training.
In addition to language and cultural barriers in turning to the government for help themselves, Tenner said many aren't used to having such a relationship with officials since leaders in their homeland are killing citizens. The center will be a place for them to feel comfortable, he said.
It also will conduct several educational forums on topics such as financial literacy and credit counseling and women's empowerment.
"Sudanese men and women I work with found one of the first things to do is teach Sudanese women it's OK to speak out about issues that concern them, be active in the community, stand out of the shadows," Tenner said.
As part of this effort, the center hopes to help some of the women start day-care operations that will give them the chance to run a business and provide a service for other Sudanese families.
Beyond the services and programs, the center will be a "place to gather and share their challenges and their stories," Tenner said.
Awak also hopes it will be a place for children to learn about both the Sudanese and American cultures.
The center will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, at the new facility followed by a fundraising reception at Lou Malnati's on the ground level.
Tickets are $50 per person or $15 for students. Those interested in attending can call (217) 836-6531 or e-mail erin@sudanesecommunitycenter.org.
Guests will include Naperville Mayor George Pradel, state and local elected officials, and NBA legend Manute Bol, who was born in Sudan.
The center is in need of monetary donations and people offering their professional services. To make a donation, call (312) 576-8822 or visit www.sudanesecommunitycenter.org.