An emotional reunion between a Sudanese refugee and his
Australian ‘mama' brought home the impact of Jesuit Refugee Service at the
Xavier Social Justice Network Refugee Week Dinner.
Thirteen years had passed since David Basioni last saw Sr
Maureen Lohrey. But her influence on his life had not only allowed him to
become a teacher, it also inspired him to seek her all the way across the
world.
‘She brought me from my childhood to where I am now', he
told the 100 people in attendance at the dinner on 24 June. ‘Since I came to Australia in
2004, I have been trying to get in touch with Sr Maureen. Every time I asked
someone, they would ask who she was. I would say, "She's my mama".'
David was born in Sudan, but spent 13 years living in a
refugee camp in Adjumani in Northern Uganda. Thanks to Jesuit Refugee Service,
he was given primary and secondary education, and supported in being trained as
a teacher. Having been given so many opportunities, he then went back to the
director of JRS to ask if he could go back to the camp and teach other young
people.
‘The director asked me why. I said I knew what it was like
there and I wanted to help', said David.
In 2003 he applied for asylum in Australia. Although he had
qualifications as a teacher, he was still living in a country that wasn't his
home. The connection he had made with Sr Maureen was part of the reason he saw
Australia as a home for himself and his family.
‘I was there for years', he said. ‘I didn't see my mama
until today.'
After a short period working as a teacher in Tasmania, David
enrolled in an information technology course which he finished last year. He
now works for Catholic Care Northern Territory, and is based in Alice Springs.
His wife and five children are living in Melbourne.
Since contacting JRS Australia last year, David has been
sharing his story with Jesuit school students around Australia, and
collaborating in the JRS Youth Award. Although David had tried to track down Sr
Maureen through the Mercy Sisters, he hadn't been able to make contact with her
until the night of the dinner.
Sr Maureen Lohrey was in Uganda from 1993 to 1997, and
remembered well the difficult and dangerous conditions in which the refugees
lived. She said she remembered David as one of the many children in the camp
who called her ‘mama'. She said she was proud to hear him speaking about his
experiences and hearing what he was trying to give back to people.
‘It's a wonderful thing to find somebody who has had it very
tough for many years in the camps, and to come here and be able to do what you
are doing', she said. ‘Thank you David. I'm very proud of you.'
Also present at the dinner were Mercy Sister Lizzie
Finnerty, and Jesuit Celso Romanin, who also worked for JRS in Uganda. Sisters
Maureen and Lizzie both spent several weeks recently on Christmas Island
as part of JRS' pastoral program to support asylum seekers in detention there.
David said he was happy to support the work of JRS in
Australia, and grateful to everyone who made stories like his possible.
‘I'm very proud of everyone in this room for supporting the
Jesuits in what they are doing. Thank you very much', he said.
The Xavier Social Justice Network (XSJN) dinner helped raise
funds for the work of Jesuit Refugee Service both in Australia and overseas.
XSJN Coordinator Mary Storey said people were really moved by the stories of
the refugees.
‘The responses have been massive since the dinner, with many
people wanting to get involved with JRS', she said.
The next XSJN event in Melbourne will also focus on
refugees. ‘Daring to be different - A journey to a just world', will be held at
Xavier College on 8 September. Speakers will include Paris Aristotle, Maryanne
Loughrey, and Zamera Sahirra. For more details, contact Mary Storey on m.storey(at)xavier.vic.edu.au
By Michael McVeigh
More
photos from the night on Flickr.
For more about Jesuit Refugee
Service in Australia,
go to www.jrs.org.au.