 "Photo: Alex Trautwig")
On Tuesday afternoon, the sounds of students rushing through O'Neill Plaza were replaced by the songs of Emmanuel Jal, who took to the stage with a rap that summed up the events of his life as a child in Sudan. After his brief poem, which included solemn rhymes like "forced to sin to make a living," "I've seen my people die like flies," and "sometimes I'm doing wrong to make things right," Jal shared his story with the audience in 45 minutes.
Jal, from southern Sudan, was born into a world of turmoil. Early in his childhood, tensions arose between the northern and southern Sudan. His father left his family after a rebel movement was formed in southern Sudan, and could no longer provide for the family. Jal's mother and siblings moved to his grandmother's house.
Life in the city where his grandmother lived was difficult, and Jal recalled hearing the constant sounds of bombs and gunfire. "I felt like the world was ending," Jal said. Jal said he did not understand why his neighbors were dying and why he was still alive. He said his mother credited his family's survival in such a chaotic time to God. On one occasion, Jal said his aunt was raped in front of him, and he could do nothing to stop it.
Jal's mother escaped from the city and moved to the village with her family. Jal loved the village life, but this brief period of peace in his life was shattered when government troops attacked the village.
Thousands of children were taken from the villages and sent to Ethiopia for a chance to get an education. Jal was among them, and in Ethiopia he was forced to learn how to provide for himself, or risk starvation. The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) came into Ethiopia and asked the refugee children if they wanted to be trained as soldiers. Jal said he barely hesitated before enlisting, for he wanted to protect his family and find out who killed his mother. He was sent to a training camp where he was trained in waging guerilla warfare, how to use a gun, and how to make weapons.
Jal was eventually forced back to Sudan, where he and several hundred other children organized together to attempt a journey to a safer, more stable country. The months dragged on and their provisions ran out, leaving Jal and his companions struggling for their lives. Many of their party committed suicide or died of starvation, and those who survived gathered water from dew just to wet their tongues, Jal said.
Sometimes there would be wild animals the children could hunt, but this meager source of food quickly dwindled and disappeared. Driven to complete desperation, Jal said he considered eating one of his friends. Jal said he prayed for some sign to guide his actions. "God if you don't give me food, I'm going to eat one of my friends," he said. The next morning he saw a flock of birds when he woke up, and was able to capture and eat one of the birds instead.
Of the 400 that set out on the journey, only Jal and 16 of his friends survived. Jal met a woman named Emma, the wife of a military officer, who took him under her wing. She smuggled him into Kenya and gave him shelter while he was there. It was in Kenya where Jal was first introduced to pets, toilets, and the other domestic conveniences he had never known before.
Emma died, and life became hard again for Jal. He began paying attention, however, to music, and eventually wrote a song dedicated to Emma that appears on his new album, "War Child." He said his current vocation is delivering his message through the poetry of his lyrics.
As he spoke to the crowd of BC students, Jal said he knows of only one former child soldier who is still alive today. When asked how he came to peace with the disturbing experiences he endured, Jal attributed his perseverance to his music. "I learned how to forgive … music was my therapy," Jal said. "I lost my childhood so music helped me dance again.
"[I have] the opportunity to inspire people. I have a responsibility for people who cannot speak for themselves. I am the voice for the children of Africa," Jal said.
To get Jal to come to BC was not easy. "It took a lot of planning over the summer," said Alexander Lorestani, director of University speakers for the Undergraduate Government of BC and A&S '09. "His story is important, and it relates to the message of the University, 'men and women for others.' He is a different kind of speaker than BC is used to. He has a compelling story, which I think many people will appreciate," Lorestani said.
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