Sudanese immigrant leaves behind large family
Civil war forced Saida Dak to flee Sudan with 12 young children.
When she came to America in 1995, she dreamed one day she could say: “I am an American.”
The former nurse became a citizen June 3, and that status allowed her to return to Sudan to settle her dead husband’s property matters.
She was scheduled to return Oct. 10. But she contracted malaria last week, and she died Tuesday in Sudan — 11 years to the day she and the children arrived in America.
The 60-year-old was provider and parent to her children, nephew and grandson.
And her unexpected death has left the family in turmoil.
“She was mom and father to her children. She was everything to her children. Now she has left them behind,” said Fatuma Garbang, a longtime friend and leader of the Lincoln Literacy Council’s Sudanese Women’s Group.
“They have nothing … No car. No house. No money.”
The family lives in a subsidized southwest Lincoln duplex. Dak’s Social Security checks paid rent and other expenses.
“They can’t pay nothing,” Garbang said. “They have nothing.”
What little money Dak had is tied up in the bank until her death certificate arrives. And her Social Security checks will soon stop.
Nyachok Nyuon, 20, one of Dak’s stepchildren, worries about Ben, Dak’s youngest son. The Lincoln High sophomore wants to go to college to become an engineer.
“Mama Saida worked so hard to make sure he went to school,” Nyachok said. “Now, he’s left behind.”
Older sister Nyajake, 23, suffers from a seizure disorder, and cannot work, drive or cross a street alone.
For now, Garbang is dividing her time between her five children and Dak’s.
But the future is so uncertain.
“The good thing in this country is that people care about people,” Garbang said. “In Africa there is no help. Everyone is in the same situation. Here they can find health (care), shelter, food and education.”
Dak will stay in Africa. The family cannot afford to bring her body back, and she will be buried in the country she no longer belongs to.
v v v
Dak was one of 11 wives of William Nyuon Bany, a leader in the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army/Movement, a group trying to overthrow the authoritarian military government.
In 1990, as violence worsened and Nyuon’s family was targeted, Dak fled to a refugee camp in Kenya. She took her own seven children and four young children of Nyuon’s other wives.
The women wanted Dak to keep the children safe, to get them a good education.
It took five years for Dak to achieve refugee status. When she came to America in 1995, she had 11 children and her young nephew, orphaned after Dak’s brother was killed by the militia.
“Mama Saida, she worked so hard,” Nyachok said. “She worked hard to pay the bills and take care of us.”
The family lived in San Diego for two years, waiting for William Nyuon Bany to join them. Dak was watching CNN when she learned her husband had been killed.
She would raise the children alone. They moved to Rochester, Minn., where Dak landed an $11 an hour job with IBM.
They moved to Omaha after she was laid off in 2001. She worked two jobs — at an office during the day, waiting tables at night.
She wanted to become a U.S. citizen, but there was no time to learn English and American history.
That changed when she moved to Lincoln in 2004. Garbang convinced her to take citizenship and English classes with the Literacy Council.
Dak worked at Goodwill by day and studied the 100 possible questions for her citizenship test at night. She listened to tapes. She had Nyajake quiz her.
Both became naturalized citizens June 3.
“I am proud to be an American citizen,” she said in an interview with the Lincoln Journal Star in June. “Now that I am American citizen I have all the rights Americans have … I can get an American passport. I can vote.
“I know I have a home.”
v v v
Passport in hand, she returned to Sudan in late August.
When she got back to Lincoln, she would concentrate on living as an American citizen. She hoped to get a good job. She wanted her children to finish school. She would raise her 6-year-old grandson Sijin Nyuon.
Garbang, who spent the summer in Sudan, saw Dak there when she arrived.
“I took her to the American embassy. I told her because you have American passport they will protect you. … ‘If you have any problems in Sudan, if your life is threatened, tell the embassy and they will get you out of the country.’”
No one anticipated her getting sick.
Dak called Garbang, who had returned to Lincoln, last weekend.
“She said she had malaria. She had diarrhea and was vomiting and her leg was not functioning.”
Dak was transferred to a hospital in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital.
Garbang called the next day.
Dak’s condition was worse.
She called again Monday.
“She said ‘I am not going to survive.’”
On Tuesday, a nurse relayed Dak’s messages to Garbang.
“Her last words to me were: ‘Put my kids together, talk to them, comfort them. I die now’ and she die.”
Reach Erin Andersen at 473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.
How you can help
Donations for Saida Dak’s family are being collected in her daughter’s name.
Contributions can be made to: The benefit of Nyajake Nyuon, c/o Cattle National Bank, 1550 S. Coddington Suite R, Lincoln, NE 68522
When she came to America in 1995, she dreamed one day she could say: “I am an American.”
The former nurse became a citizen June 3, and that status allowed her to return to Sudan to settle her dead husband’s property matters.
She was scheduled to return Oct. 10. But she contracted malaria last week, and she died Tuesday in Sudan — 11 years to the day she and the children arrived in America.
The 60-year-old was provider and parent to her children, nephew and grandson.
And her unexpected death has left the family in turmoil.
“She was mom and father to her children. She was everything to her children. Now she has left them behind,” said Fatuma Garbang, a longtime friend and leader of the Lincoln Literacy Council’s Sudanese Women’s Group.
“They have nothing … No car. No house. No money.”
The family lives in a subsidized southwest Lincoln duplex. Dak’s Social Security checks paid rent and other expenses.
“They can’t pay nothing,” Garbang said. “They have nothing.”
What little money Dak had is tied up in the bank until her death certificate arrives. And her Social Security checks will soon stop.
Nyachok Nyuon, 20, one of Dak’s stepchildren, worries about Ben, Dak’s youngest son. The Lincoln High sophomore wants to go to college to become an engineer.
“Mama Saida worked so hard to make sure he went to school,” Nyachok said. “Now, he’s left behind.”
Older sister Nyajake, 23, suffers from a seizure disorder, and cannot work, drive or cross a street alone.
For now, Garbang is dividing her time between her five children and Dak’s.
But the future is so uncertain.
“The good thing in this country is that people care about people,” Garbang said. “In Africa there is no help. Everyone is in the same situation. Here they can find health (care), shelter, food and education.”
Dak will stay in Africa. The family cannot afford to bring her body back, and she will be buried in the country she no longer belongs to.
v v v
Dak was one of 11 wives of William Nyuon Bany, a leader in the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army/Movement, a group trying to overthrow the authoritarian military government.
In 1990, as violence worsened and Nyuon’s family was targeted, Dak fled to a refugee camp in Kenya. She took her own seven children and four young children of Nyuon’s other wives.
The women wanted Dak to keep the children safe, to get them a good education.
It took five years for Dak to achieve refugee status. When she came to America in 1995, she had 11 children and her young nephew, orphaned after Dak’s brother was killed by the militia.
“Mama Saida, she worked so hard,” Nyachok said. “She worked hard to pay the bills and take care of us.”
The family lived in San Diego for two years, waiting for William Nyuon Bany to join them. Dak was watching CNN when she learned her husband had been killed.
She would raise the children alone. They moved to Rochester, Minn., where Dak landed an $11 an hour job with IBM.
They moved to Omaha after she was laid off in 2001. She worked two jobs — at an office during the day, waiting tables at night.
She wanted to become a U.S. citizen, but there was no time to learn English and American history.
That changed when she moved to Lincoln in 2004. Garbang convinced her to take citizenship and English classes with the Literacy Council.
Dak worked at Goodwill by day and studied the 100 possible questions for her citizenship test at night. She listened to tapes. She had Nyajake quiz her.
Both became naturalized citizens June 3.
“I am proud to be an American citizen,” she said in an interview with the Lincoln Journal Star in June. “Now that I am American citizen I have all the rights Americans have … I can get an American passport. I can vote.
“I know I have a home.”
v v v
Passport in hand, she returned to Sudan in late August.
When she got back to Lincoln, she would concentrate on living as an American citizen. She hoped to get a good job. She wanted her children to finish school. She would raise her 6-year-old grandson Sijin Nyuon.
Garbang, who spent the summer in Sudan, saw Dak there when she arrived.
“I took her to the American embassy. I told her because you have American passport they will protect you. … ‘If you have any problems in Sudan, if your life is threatened, tell the embassy and they will get you out of the country.’”
No one anticipated her getting sick.
Dak called Garbang, who had returned to Lincoln, last weekend.
“She said she had malaria. She had diarrhea and was vomiting and her leg was not functioning.”
Dak was transferred to a hospital in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital.
Garbang called the next day.
Dak’s condition was worse.
She called again Monday.
“She said ‘I am not going to survive.’”
On Tuesday, a nurse relayed Dak’s messages to Garbang.
“Her last words to me were: ‘Put my kids together, talk to them, comfort them. I die now’ and she die.”
Reach Erin Andersen at 473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.
How you can help
Donations for Saida Dak’s family are being collected in her daughter’s name.
Contributions can be made to: The benefit of Nyajake Nyuon, c/o Cattle National Bank, 1550 S. Coddington Suite R, Lincoln, NE 68522
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