CSC Employee Overcame Great Obstacles, Now Helps New Refugees
Oliver Tunda has a unique understanding of the refugee process
CSC’s employees come from all corners of the world, contributing to the company’s excellence and ability to understand clients’ needs. Oliver Tunda, once a refugee from Sudan, now works for CSC and processes refugees into the U.S. at the Department of State. Tunda shares his story in his words:
I am originally from Sudan. I was naturalized on September 17, 2001, and today I’m an American citizen. I work at the Department of State and process refugees coming to the United States from various countries. Because I was a refugee myself, I understand the process uniquely.
My journey to the United States started in 1985, when Sudan was plunged into its second civil war, which forced me to leave the country. I left Sudan and took refuge in the Central African Republic (CAR) — a journey that took 23 days. Though the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) supported me and gave me the protection I needed, constant harassment by the CAR police was the order of the day. The police did not respect my attestation, a UNHCR document issued to all refugees as a form of identification. Because I did not speak French or Sango, the local language spoken in CAR, I became an easy target of the police, who repeatedly arrested me and stole my money. I decided to leave to avoid further harassment. I planned for three months to generate enough money to pay for the cost of transportation to Cameroon. To achieve this, I sold part of my monthly ration given to me by UNHCR. I did this for three months and then left CAR for Cameroon.
It took three days to reach Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. I was in Cameroon for three weeks and left for Nigeria, but it was too difficult to survive there, too. I had entered the country illegally, and at that time the Nigerian government was rounding up aliens for deportation. I did not want to be deported to Sudan and face accusations of being a member of the armed opposition. Many young men from south Sudan had lost their lives after being deported.
I wanted to leave Nigeria by all means, but I did not have the money to fly out. Gratefully, a Good Samaritan helped me to the Nigeria-Benin border. I lived in Benin for three months, where I worked to support myself. I then moved to Togo and then Ghana, where I lived for five months. In Ghana the UNHCR protection officer told me to return to CAR, but I told him I would not return to live under constant police harassment again. Instead, I left Ghana for the Ivory Coast and eventually I proceeded to Liberia, where I stayed until 1990. I was awarded a UNHCR scholarship and went to college for three years. Unfortunately, the Liberian civil war interrupted my studies, and I had to be evacuated to the Ivory Coast, where I stayed for three years. While in Ivory Coast, I decided to study the French language and attained a diploma in French.
I returned to Liberia in 1994 after a cease-fire was negotiated, and relative peace returned to the Liberian capital, Monrovia. My main concern was to finish my college education, but the UNHCR protection officer advised me to try the resettlement process. I filled out the U.S. resettlement forms and about seven to eight months later I was interviewed by the Joint Voluntary Agency and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. I also underwent a medical exam and passed. A weeklong orientation about life in the U.S. followed and in August 1995 I was told that I would be coming to Washington, D.C., and that the Internal Rescue Committee (IRC) would be my sponsor.
The orientation gave me a clear picture of life in the U.S., but I knew that one had to be mentally prepared for the challenges ahead. In September 1995, I arrived in Washington, D.C. The IRC helped me acclimate by assisting with basic things like finding accommodations and job orientations. Things I needed to establish my life here, like a social security card, were set up through the agency until I got a job. After a year, I was enrolled at George Washington University. I worked while I studied there. I graduated with a B.A. in International Affairs in 1998.
I came to the United States alone, but today I have two brothers here: one in Kansas City, Missouri, and the other here with me in Washington, D.C. Both came to the United States through the resettlement program.
Of course, life in Africa is different from here. In Africa I was a refugee and very much depended on the UNHCR. Here I am more independent; I earn my living by working.
I joined CSC on September 3, 2002. As an arrivals processor, I work with World Relief and other agencies that sponsor refugees, coordinating their entrance into the U.S. I follow cases through the entire process, verifying information on assurance forms and processing the paperwork involved. My experience and education has greatly helped me perform this role because I understand the international community, issues that arise and how to work through them. I like working for CSC because I see that there are chances of excelling and moving up. I plan to move up in the same area and keep assisting refugees.
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