HOW I LOST MY BELLY

MANYOK CHOL DAVID

When I was young, I had a belly and I used to be

called a “belly boy”. My belly developed when I was
in Pabiec cattle camp (of the present Kongor Payam
of Twic East County in Jonglei state). My father had
a lot of cattle and I was a Milk-Barger. Whenever
children fights occurred, I hit back supporting the younger one. Though I was
smaller compared to most of the older boys, my belly weight prevented me from
easily falling. But how did I lost my belly?

In 1983, Black Africans in the South of Sudan began to rebel and formed a
movement they called it Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M).
As the SPLA was fighting the Arabs, something went wrong and the conflict
reached our village. My father lost all the cattle and we fled to a displaced camp
somewhere in the country. I began to lose weight because the U. N who fed us,
only provided lentils and white maize, something new to my belly. As a
consequence, I began to think about my “golden milk” and in the process, I lost my
belly.

It was very difficult to adapt to a new diet of cereals without milk, however, things
began to change slowly. Hunters indigenous to the areas, (where the displaced
camp was located) began to teach us how to catch wild rats. I picked the hunting
idea very quickly and became a rat hunter. Meat was then the order of the day. In
a short while, I began to increase weight and again I regained my belly.

The rat hunt did not last for long. The Arabs soldiers began to move out from Juba
and started to push away the SPLA from Equatoria region towards the borders of

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the country. For this reason, I ran to Kenya (the near border to me), where I was
fed by the UNHCR. For the first month, I felt victim of maize and lentils. Again, I
lost my belly.

Kakuma is town located in the hot region of Turkana district of Kenya. In that
town, people with bellies were counted as rich. I soon realized that I had to do
something in order to recover my belly. On that note, I began to start a vegetable
farm around water points. Vegetables at that time were hot-selling. I remembered
earning quiet good money. Every day, I fed on Ethiopian Anjera (the golden food
at that time) and this brought back my belly.

When the CPA was signed in 2005, I had already completed my high school and I
had high expectations. I thought of getting a great job, unfortunately, something
went wrong and helicopter felt on a mountain and I lost my belly.

Shortly after that, I came to Juba and left for Jonglei , Luckily I secured a job with
a European Organization (ECHO). I was paid good money and each day, I could
buy any food my appetite drove me at. As a because of that, I got a belly. That
belly stayed a bit longer because I had a business at the same time, but again,
something went wrong.

In 2013, a fight erupted in Juba and consequently, I lost my business. As a result, I

lost my belly.

Blessing in disguise occurred when Oxfam Great Britain contracted me to

distributed food to my fellow citizens displaced by conflict and this brought back
my belly. Again something went wrong and I had run to Uganda in 2016, where I
registered with UNCHR that fed me with unknown variety of sorghum flour. As a
result, I lost my belly. In the same state, I got an opportunity and went for further,
where I had a peace of mind and as a result, I got a belly.

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By the time the second CPA was signed, I had already completed my studies. I
decided to return to my country. Fortunately, I got employed by higher education
and as a result, I got a belly.

The wars of 2013 and 2016 in South Sudan created hyperinflation and the money I
received from higher education lost market purchasing power and again I lost my
belly.

When the authority saw that higher education in collapsing in the country, the
president H.E Salva Kiir agreed to Prof. John Akec proposal and I got my pay
raise, as a result, I got a belly.

Corona Virus came to the world to disorganize world young economies and
lockdowns began to be enforced in South Sudan. Elsewhere in the world, oil prices
began to rumble due to closure of factories in the developed world. As a
consequence, oil producing countries felt the effects. For us in South Sudan, we
began to wait for cash for long. For this reason, I lost my belly.

Today, I am in deep prayers so that next time I develop a belly, nothing else should
happen so that the belly will remain forever, because until now, I have no idea on
when my belly will return.

The author is a Lecturer at University of Juba

He can be reached at:
0923738849 /0917214948; davidcholmanyok@gmail.com