Support for Peter Biar Ajak
Donation protected
July 31, 2020
Dear Friends,
I arrived along with my wife and our three children in Washington, D.C. on July 23 from Nairobi, Kenya after fleeing from a hit squad sent by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to either murder me or abduct me back to South Sudan. For five weeks before our departure, we lived in a state of fear. Vehicles with South Sudan’s license plates were circling around our apartment and monitoring us we as prepared to depart. The next day, I published an oped in the Wall Street Journal about my experience and explaining how I think the world can ensure elections happen in the end of next year, as currently scheduled.
My family and I are thankful to many of you who reached out to the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and Members of Congress so that our visas could be expedited. Because of your efforts, my family and I are alive and safe now in the United States.
The emergency nature of our departure forced us to leave everything in Kenya, except for what we could carry in suitcases. We now have to start everything from afresh. We are grateful that we have found an apartment to live in, but we are essentially starting, once again, from scratch. We have bought mattresses to sleep on and several friends have been generous to give us some pieces of furniture they are no longer using.
While I now have a job offer, I cannot start working and earning a salary until I received work authorization. With the help of my pro bono lawyer, Jared Genser, I have submitted my application for the employment authorization. However, given the challenges associated with COVID 19, it’s unclear when I might obtain it. This is a major challenge for us since we have to cover our bills as I wait to start working. Jared is doing everything to have the process expedited. In addition, we really have to enroll our seven-year-old son Deng in a private school because they are doing in-person teaching while the public schools will be all remote. We think this is necessary for Deng because of all the trauma he has been through – from my time as a political prisoner and now having to say goodbye to all his friends in the middle of his Second Grade year. It would otherwise be very difficult for him to have any social interactions or make friends in a new school remotely.
So many of you have been extremely generous and supportive of me and my family for the last two years. Your generosity has kept food on the table for my kids and a roof over their heads. I ask you once again to support us as we go through this transition. I hope and have every reason to believe that Nyathon and I will be able to cover our family’s bills once this transition has been completed. I am grateful for your generosity and your enduring support. May God bless each and everyone of you!
Peter
Dear Friends,
I arrived along with my wife and our three children in Washington, D.C. on July 23 from Nairobi, Kenya after fleeing from a hit squad sent by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir to either murder me or abduct me back to South Sudan. For five weeks before our departure, we lived in a state of fear. Vehicles with South Sudan’s license plates were circling around our apartment and monitoring us we as prepared to depart. The next day, I published an oped in the Wall Street Journal about my experience and explaining how I think the world can ensure elections happen in the end of next year, as currently scheduled.
My family and I are thankful to many of you who reached out to the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and Members of Congress so that our visas could be expedited. Because of your efforts, my family and I are alive and safe now in the United States.
The emergency nature of our departure forced us to leave everything in Kenya, except for what we could carry in suitcases. We now have to start everything from afresh. We are grateful that we have found an apartment to live in, but we are essentially starting, once again, from scratch. We have bought mattresses to sleep on and several friends have been generous to give us some pieces of furniture they are no longer using.
While I now have a job offer, I cannot start working and earning a salary until I received work authorization. With the help of my pro bono lawyer, Jared Genser, I have submitted my application for the employment authorization. However, given the challenges associated with COVID 19, it’s unclear when I might obtain it. This is a major challenge for us since we have to cover our bills as I wait to start working. Jared is doing everything to have the process expedited. In addition, we really have to enroll our seven-year-old son Deng in a private school because they are doing in-person teaching while the public schools will be all remote. We think this is necessary for Deng because of all the trauma he has been through – from my time as a political prisoner and now having to say goodbye to all his friends in the middle of his Second Grade year. It would otherwise be very difficult for him to have any social interactions or make friends in a new school remotely.
So many of you have been extremely generous and supportive of me and my family for the last two years. Your generosity has kept food on the table for my kids and a roof over their heads. I ask you once again to support us as we go through this transition. I hope and have every reason to believe that Nyathon and I will be able to cover our family’s bills once this transition has been completed. I am grateful for your generosity and your enduring support. May God bless each and everyone of you!
Peter
Fundraising team: Fundraising team (2)
Jacob Donnelly
Organizer
Newton, MA
Nungari Mwangi
Team member