THE RISE OF TONY OYET

It has been a long and difficult journey from the remote community of Juba in Sudan to the city of Adelaide. But this is the life of an African refugee. Tony Ogeno Oyet, 26, has lived in Uganda and was in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya for a couple of years before coming to Australia in 2003. Now living in South Australia, he is a student of International Business at Adelaide Institute of TAFE – a milestone for a young refugee.

He reckons being in Australia has restored his hope in humanity and has given him the opportunity to study and improve himself, despite the separation from his family. “I always wanted to understand the dynamics of the international business environment; and learn more about finance”. Tony is a voracious reader with an obvious passion for his studies.

He speaks of the problem of isolation and distance from the family he left behind in Sudan: “I have been trying to bring my family here since last year, but without success”. Nevertheless, despite the set-back, Tony still believes there is no better place in the world than Australia. In fact, he likes the life-style in Adelaide, the goodwill of the people, and the wider community support for the African refugees.

Tony says “anything is possible” here. And, with such a positive frame of mind, there is something very special for him in the “Promised land”. He has a bright future ahead of him in Australia.

Watch this space!