Cola is a Sudanese refugee who lives in Sydney. He has just released a book, titled 'Cola's Journey', which tells of his extraordinary life. Though Cola's actual birthdate is unknown, he was born into the Dinka tribal group in southern Sudan in about 1981.
"I was 'officially' born in 1984, but I think the date is closer to 1981," he said. "There's no real way to know for sure."
In 1987, he was forcibly recruited into the Sudan People's Liberation Army as a child soldier. After two years in a military training camp, he escaped and began an extraordinary odyssey down the length of Africa. Cola lived illegally for the next 14 years, relying on strangers for help and scraping a living wherever he could, as well as educating himself to read and write along the way.
"I learned a little English in my travels, but it definitely improved when I got to Australia," he said.
Cola was granted official UN refugee status in 2003 and now lives in Sydney, where he hones his skills as a DJ. He also actively helps other Sudanese refugees find shelter and assimilate in Australia.
This book is the story of Cola’s extraordinary journey. Although set against a backdrop of brutality and suffering, it is a story of incredible resilience and, above all, of hope. Borrow it today.
