Trouble Tomorrow by Terry Whitebeach and Sarafino Enadio
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BOOK PUBLISHERS Teachers’ Notes by Joy Lawn Trouble Tomorrow by Terry Whitebeach and Sarafino Enadio ISBN 9781760291464 Recommended for ages 13-18 yrs These notes may be reproduced free of charge for use and study within schools but they may not be reproduced (either in whole or in part) and offered for commercial sale. Introduction ............................................ 2 Topics and themes .......................... 2 Plot summary ................................. 2 Curriculum alignment ............................... 3 Activities for the English classroom ............ 3 Orientation to Sudan ....................... 3 Literature and context ..................... 5 Writing .......................................... 9 Story ........................................... 10 Sudanese people in Australia .......... 10 Resources and Further Reading ............... 11 About the writers .................................. 13 The collaborative writing process ............. 14 Blackline masters .................................. 15 83 Alexander Street PO Box 8500 Crows Nest, Sydney St Leonards NSW 2065 NSW 1590 ph: (61 2) 8425 0100 [email protected] Allen & Unwin PTY LTD Australia Australia fax: (61 2) 9906 2218 www.allenandunwin.com ABN 79 003 994 278 INTRODUCTION Trouble Tomorrow is a young adult novel, based on a true story, and is suitable for study in Years 7-10. It follows the life of 16-year old Sudanese boy Obulejo, whose life is turned upside down by civil war. Forced to flee rebel soldiers, he must make his way to a refugee camp over the border, losing all contact with his family and friends along the way. In the camp, he is safer but has no future – until he joins a pioneering peace education program and begins to find ways to create a more hopeful life for himself and others. This book is a useful educational resource, not only addressing topics around war and peace but also giving insights into life within refugee camps, and the resourcefulness and resilience needed by the people who live there. It could be used across the curriculum, however, these notes contain suggested activities for the English classroom. The backstory of the co-authors is also interesting and provides a valuable insight into the power of collaborative projects. See the author’s description of the collaborative writing process at the end of these notes. TOPICS AND THEMES Civil war and refugees Race Sudan and ‘Lost Boys of Sudan’ Children and young people in war Journey and freedom Family Hope and kindness Protection Peace Religion Leadership Education PLOT SUMMARY Obulejo is a Christian Ma’di boy from South Sudan in Africa. His name means ‘trouble tomorrow’, also the novel’s title. When the story begins he is 15 years old. His family is very close and they value education. Tragically they are separated when the Rebels invade their village. Obulejo becomes part of a group travelling to a refugee camp in Kenya. They face enemies, wild animals, thirst, starvation and death. Life in Kakuma refugee camp is not safe either, particularly due to the threat of kidnapping and being forced into becoming boy soldiers. Even though his tribal community at Kakuma supports Obulejo, he embarks on the journey to another camp at Dadaab, which is even worse because he doesn’t have refugee status there and so cannot receive rations. He sacrifices his family values to become a thief and this lifestyle continues on his return to Kakuma where he makes an important decision about his future. 2 CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT - ENGLISH These notes are intended for learners in Year 7 and 10 English classrooms. (Trouble Tomorrow could also be used in the Geography, SOSE, Peace Education, Ethics or Religion curriculum.) The suggested English Learning Intentions are from the three strands of the Australian English curriculum. Literature: understanding, appreciating, responding to, analysing and creating literature Language: knowing about the English language Literacy: expanding the repertoire of English usage The Learning Intentions are from either one strand or integrated strands. Learning Intentions are highlighted in shaded boxes at the end of the section to which they refer and are from the English learning area. The Australian Curriculum can be downloaded at http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Home. ACTIVITIES FOR THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM ORIENTATION TO SUDAN Most young Australians will not be familiar with Sudan, its history, politics, culture or people. Obulejo’s story takes place during the Sudanese civil war between the northern central government and the southern rebels. In 2011, after lengthy peace negotiations, South Sudan became independent. However, civil war within South Sudan soon erupted as different groups competed for power in the new country. Recent reports focus on this new civil war, which officially ended in 2015 with a negotiated settlement but has actually continued. Teachers may have to distinguish between the Sudanese and South Sudanese civil wars for students who are conducting research. See Map at end of these notes locating both countries in Africa. N.B.: South Sudan did not exist in Obulejo’s youth. Information on the Sudan he lived in tends to focus on northern Sudan, rather than the south. South Sudan, where Obulejo is from, is one of the world’s youngest countries, created after the long civil war in Sudan. This means that most information about South Sudan focusses on war, poverty, civilian displacement etc. Historical information often starts with British colonialism. It can be difficult to get past these crucial but one-sided views and discover the rich and lively cultures of South Sudan. Readers of Trouble Tomorrow will quickly realise that the population tends to divide itself along tribal and clan lines and that there are many different languages. However, English is now the official language and is a common lingua franca, along with Arabic which was the lingua franca of older South Sudanese people. Educational attainment is at low levels due to decades of neglect by the Sudanese government, followed by decades of fighting. Oral culture is fundamental, with song and dance important components of everyday culture. Radio is assuming an important role in education and communication in the new nation. Sources: BBC South Sudan Country Profile: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14069082 BBC Sudan Country Profile: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14094995 3 CIA country profiles: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/su.html (Sudan) and https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/od.html (South Sudan) See ‘Further Reading’, below, for The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney, a picture book where the story begins in a Sudanese village. This could help set the scene for readers of Trouble Tomorrow, as could the two picture books created by Terry Whitebeach and Sarafino Enadio, When I Was a Boy in Sudan and When I was a Girl in Sudan. Internal displacement In the South Sudanese civil war, people who lose their homes can flee to Protection of Civilians (POC) zones within their own country. They are not classed as refugees because they have not fled to another country. They are displaced persons. Current stories from POC zones are very similar to Obulejo’s story. This news story begins with a boy who, like Obulejo, had to hide in a swamp for days: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37779023 . Other children's stories are told at https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/reallives_16072.html - ‘Long way back to freedom: Child soldiers in South Sudan’ and ‘Lost and alone: One girl's nightmare amid the violence of South Sudan’. (Not very graphic violence – suitable for students to read.) UNICEF works with displaced children and returning child soldiers in South Sudan. https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/ This report includes a video of Raymond talking about his life in a POC zone near the capital city, Juba. https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/media_15898.html Human Rights Watch produces reports and lobbies governments and the UN. Some of their reports on South Sudan may not be suitable for school students. (Issues of mass murder of children and rape of young girls have recently become prominent.) https://www.hrw.org/africa/south-sudan - video interviews are linked to this webpage. Hope ‘South Sudan artists paint for peace in Juba’: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37754047 This report shows that many South Sudanese are expressing their weariness with war and their desire for peace. It highlights the public campaign of the artists’ collective Ana Taban (I am tired). ‘From 'Lost Boy' to education minister in South Sudan’: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa- 33448231 . Valentino Achak Deng was a lost boy who gained his education in refugee camps and the USA. He now sees education as the best way to overcome tribal divisions and heal South Sudan. Famous South Sudanese People Introduce this unit of work by giving students the following list of famous Sudanese people to help them understand that people from around the world can have similar interests, skills and roles to people in Australia. People from other countries can be similar and different. Barnaba Marial Benjamin, politician John Garang, soldier and leader of Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) Francis Mading Deng, lawyer and writer Moiz Bakhiet, neurologist and poet Manute Bol, basketball player and political activist Luol Deng, professional basketball player Kueth Duany, basketball player Roy Gulwak, footballer (soccer) Emmanuel Jal, Sudanese-Canadian hip hop musician Richard Justin Lado, footballer (soccer) 4 Riek Machar, politician Angelo Maku, "Yaba Angelosi" singer, producer, songwriter Guor Marial (Guor Mading Maker), track and field athlete Salva Kiir Mayardit, politician, first President of South Sudan Alek Wek, supermodel Emmanuel Kembe, musician John Bul Dau, 'Lost Boy', refugee, humanitarian (Courtesy World Atlas http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/southsudan/ssfamous.htm ) Each student selects a person to briefly research and then posts a 1-2-paragraph summary and a photo of the celebrity on a class wiki or webpage.