Francis Bok - Journey To The United States

Journey To The United States

Jabarona was filled with Dinka refugees who had fled the fighting in the south of Sudan and were forced to live together in sub-standard conditions. Bok settled among people who were from the Aweil area of North Bahr al Ghazal and began using his Christian name of Francis once again. Bok was quickly arrested by the Sudanese police for telling his friends and neighbors that he was a slave. Slavery in Sudan is a subject that was largely denied by the government in Khartoum and anybody that spoke of it could be arrested or even killed. Francis was interrogated numerous times while he was imprisoned and each time he denied that he was a slave. He was finally released from prison after seven months. Once he was released Bok decided that he must leave Sudan. Through the help of some Dinka tribesman he was able to acquire a Sudanese passport on the black market and obtain a ticket for passage to Cairo.

Upon arriving in Cairo in April 1999, Bok was directed to Sacred Heart Catholic Church. This church was well known among the Dinka in Khartoum as a place of refuge in Cairo. While staying at Sacred Heart, Bok began to learn some English and made important contacts among the Dinka population of Cairo. He also began practicing his Christian faith without fear of reprisal. He eventually moved out of the church compound and into an apartment with other Dinka who were also seeking UN refugee status in order to leave Africa for the United States, Great Britain or Australia.

Bok applied for and received UN refugee status on September 15, 1999 and after several months of waiting, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service agreed to allow Francis to move to the U.S. Bok flew from Cairo to New York City on August 13, 1999 and from there he flew to Fargo, North Dakota. His journey was sponsored by Lutheran Social Services and a United Methodist Church, both worked together to provide an apartment for Francis in Fargo and helped him find a job. Bok worked several jobs, making pallets and plastic knobs for the gearshift of cars. He heard of a large population of Dinka in Ames, Iowa, and moved to Ames after several months in Fargo. It was while living in Ames that he was contacted by Charles Jacobs, founder of the American Anti-Slavery Group based in Boston, Massachusetts.