Prisilla Misaka Soro - Never Give Up!
Photo of Prisilla Misaka Soro
My name is Prisilla Misaka Soro. I immigrated from the war torn country Sudan as a refugee in 2004 with my children.
My husband Paul Anade was a university professor and a peacemaker, and when the war broke out he had to escape the country because of an assassination attempt on his life. He left with my then six year old daughter, because at the time he and my daughter, who was sick with malaria, were in the North of Sudan and we were still in the South. I only heard on the radio that my husband escaped with my daughter. I was not to be reunited with her until 17 years later when I came to Australia. Unfortunately for my husband, he left my daughter behind in Kenya and went back to Sudan in 1996 for peace talks, and to find me and the children, and he was assassinated.
Seventeen years later my daughter who found her way to Australia and who hardly knew me, started a long search for me. She finally located where I was, after a few years of hard work. The first time she found me we spent a long time crying on the phone.
I am now happy to report that my daughter did not only bring me to Australia but my two sons and one other daughter who are doing well in school. I have an oldest son, his wife and two children are still in Egypt living as refugees after escaping from Sudan. He hopes to come to Australia.
I enrolled in the AMEP straight away on arrival in Australia. After finishing, I went and attended Office Administration Certificate II.
In 2006 I had breast cancer surgery twice and I had chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and although I was in treatment I never gave up studying and doing training.
Currently I am studying Community Services Certificate IV and then I will complete a diploma, after which I will work with the Australian community.
I am also involved in my community by helping refugee women who don’t know how to write or speak English and who have community issues such as housing and banking. I encourage the women to study and practice basic English at home.
Last but not least, I would like to thank all the teachers for supporting me in achieveing the level of English that I have right now. I look forward to continuing life in Australia. My struggle continues, although it’s not war anymore – how to raise my children as a widow and also to find a way to bring my oldest son and his young family to Australia.