Free At Last

By Victoria Morphy

Few people understand and appreciate the meaning of freedom better than Mende Nazer. Growing up in the Nuba Mountains of Africa, life was pretty idyllic until one fateful night when Arab militia invaded Nazer's village, burning homes, raping women, slaughtering men and kidnapping young children.

Nazer was one of those children. In a flash, her carefree, innocent life awas destroyed, her freedom gone. Separated from her family at the age of 10, sexually violated by her captor, thrown into the back of a truck with other children her age, Nazer was sold into servitude to a prominent Sudanese family.

Her name changed to "Yebit," the most degrading and dehumanizing Arabic word meaning slave. Terrified and confused Nazer's life had changed dramatically. Working long hours, cleaning and caring for children, beaten by her Master Rahab at whim, served table scraps for meals, Nazer quickly learned to obey in order to survive. Enslaved for fourteen years, her nightmare ultimately ended in London where she became the slave for her Master's sister. An unsupervised trip to the grocery store, enabled Nazer to hear a familiar Nubian accent. The African mechanics turned out to be her saviors. One planned day while taking out the garbage, she ran without fear of retribution from her tortured life into the arms of freedom. With great difficulty and threats of deportation to Sudan where she would have surely died, she finally won political asylum. She has been living in London as a free woman ever since.

"Freedom is a very special word," said Nazer. "A very big word, a very precious word, so complicated but greatly appreciated." This big word, Nazer understands also comes with a lot of responsibility. For 14 years she was denied the opportunity to make her own decisions, Nazer now views her independence seriously. Something as simple as choosing a favorite meal of spaghetti and chicken is symbolic of her new power.

This understanding enables Nazer to appreciate the problems that come with oppression of people in numerous countries around the world. Living in fear and servitude can be both political and physical. She sympathizes with those who are taught to believe that they are unworthy of freedom. "They can't stand up and speak out," she said, "because they will be in irreversible trouble and the government will take action against them. They are really powerless."

Now that her voice has returned, Nazer is bravely trying to make a difference. Her book Slave has helped to create an awareness of the very troubling situation in Sudan. "My freedom is one thing," she said. "But slavery still exists in the Sudan and I must do something to stop it."

Nazer deeply appreciates her new freedom to be able to study. Her great ambition is to become a nurse and return to her village in Africa. "I want to be a nurse because of my background and my village's needs where there are no doctors or nurses," she said.