Encouraging … Lina Deng and Achol Baroch. 55166 Picture: KRISTIAN SCOTT
By Natalie Gallenti
The Deer Park resident hopes her story will inspire young Sudanese women throughout Brimbank.
Now a confident 23-year-old, working as a student support officer for the Academy of Mary Immaculate in Fitzroy, she has spoken out after years of living in the shadows.
Arriving in Australia when she was 17, Ms Deng said the change in lifestyle was so overwhelming and her extreme fear of not being able to communicate with her peers, despite attending English school, meant she only had a handful of friends as a secondary student at Marian College.
“I never got over my fear of not being able to communicate,” Ms Deng recalled.
“I only made four friends in three years; I didn’t enjoy school at all.”
The young advocate’s comments come after a study by Victoria University revealed the high aspirations of Sudanese young women were not being recognised by the education system.
VU education lecturer, and Ms Deng’s mentor, Dr Anne Harris said there was an “outrageous underestimation” of the abilities of these women and a lack of support to secure white collar jobs.
“Many Sudanese young women have been told that it’s not going to happen for them because of their interrupted schooling and poor literacy skills.,” Dr Harris said.
“Being underestimated by those who are meant to help you achieve is demoralising and can, in itself, result in despair and disengagement.”
Ms Deng said there had to be major changes.
She called for educational institutions to assign a person of the same sex, ethnicity and culture, to support and encourage students and provide a counselling role. She believed there needed to be a stronger focus for Sudanese women.
She said initiating programs like dances classes would persuade students to socialise and forge relationships with their peers.
“You can’t force anyone to learn, but it’s about motivating them and showing them the way.
“Sudanese women isolate themselves because there are afraid they are not good enough. We need to do everything we can to encourage and develop their confidence.”
