A Guardian Angel Helps the

Dreams of a Former Refugee
 

by Thomas L. Weitzel, LSF editor

28 January 2008

Daniel Agau from southern Sudan has been blessed by a guardian angel.

Daniel, who has worked for Lutheran Services Florida as a van driver since 2004, first came to the United States in 2001 through the auspices of World Relief.  From age 13, he had spent 14 years living in refugee camps after his family was taken from him in the chaos of gun fire that marked the Muslim-Christian war in the East African country of Sudan. 

Daniel was officially known by relief agencies as one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan," more than 27,000 boys displaced or orphaned by the Second Sudanese War of 1984-2005.  Because the U.S. Government could not confirm the birth date of the 4,000 boys who came to this country, their date of birth was assigned by State Department as being January 1, thus making Daniel 26 at his arrival here.

Daniel settled in Pasco County, Florida, getting a job and moving into an two bedroom apartment with four other "Lost Boys."  He set two goals for himself:  to avoid applying for welfare and to get an education.

"Even though you stay here 10 years or 100 years, if you don't have an education, it's always the same life," Daniel told the Tampa Tribune for an article that appeared in December of 2006.

With industriousness, Daniel rode a bicycle three hours to work as a dishwasher in those early years, earning enough money to eventually purchase a car and move into an apartment with just one roommate.  By 2002, he was already studying for his General Educational Development test (GED).  Once he had transportation, Daniel began assisting other refugees in Pasco by driving them to work.

In 2004, Daniel's informal chauffeur service became known to Lutheran Services Florida (LSF), whose work includes Refugee Resettlement and Employment.  So the organization hired Daniel to do what he had previously done for free.  This gave Daniel a steady income and more time to devote to his goal of education.  In August of 2006, Daniel received his GED and promptly enrolled in St. Petersburg College.  He told the Tampa Tribune that he wanted to "become an architect so he can return to Sudan and help rebuild cities."

Daniel also set himself another goal:  to become a U.S. citizen before his green card ran out in 2010.  But the cost of naturalization at $400 was going to be a challenge while trying to pay for college.

THE GUARDIAN ANGEL

Jack Sneider and his wife Nancy of Englewood, Florida (pictured at left) both read the Tampa Tribune article about Daniel Agau in December 2006.

"I was taken by what I saw in the article," said Jack.  "The article talked about how this boy had done so much on his own, and how he wanted to get an education.  I wanted to do something to help with his schooling" and to assist with his naturalization fees.

Being a retired social worker from Vermont, Jack decided to contact Lutheran Services Florida, whose work he read about in the same article about Daniel.  Jack and his wife donated $500 to LSF to establish a scholarship fund for Daniel's education, and the $500 was duly presented to Daniel (see picture above right with Raul da Silva, Daniel's supervisor).  Since that first donation, the Sneiders have made a total of three scholarship payments through LSF for Daniel's college education.

"I got a thank you note from Daniel" after the first check, said Jack.  "After I got the thank you note, I decided that he might need some emotional support for his education.  Daniel is alone, totally alone."

So Jack called Daniel by phone and has been calling him once a week ever since, giving him encouragement for school and also trying to help him find other scholarship money.

"Daniel has been calling me father as well," Jack reported.  "He's from the Dinka tribe, and in their tradition, when an adult male steps in and helps out when the father is dead, it is their custom to call that male father."

Jack states this quite proudly, reflecting not only Daniel's feelings about the new relationship that has developed, but also that of Jack and his wife, who have no natural children.

A year after reading about Daniel in the Tampa Tribune, Jack was present in Tampa as Daniel Agau was sworn in as a citizen of the United States in December 2007 (see picture at right).

"The citizenship swearing in was very touching," said Jack.  "I was so proud to be there to support him and to be his father, who he lost back in the 1980s."  To mark the occasion, Jack and his wife presented Daniel with a Rolex watch.

Jack states that he and his wife are committed to continuing to help Daniel each year with his education.

"Daniel is so bright, and he learns so fast," says Jack.  "He even sends me copies of his grades."

Commenting on the "guardian angel" nature of this relationship between the Sneiders and Daniel, Rubis Castro, LSF Regional Director for the Tampa Bay area, states, "In a world where there is so much evil, it is nice to see that there still people who are willing to reach out."

To read more about Daniel Agau's harrowing journey as a young refugee, losing his family, running from lions and being shot by soldiers, see this 2002 article in the St. Petersburg Times.

To become a guardian angel to a refugee like Daniel, or to an elderly person without a family, or to a youth in a protective shelter or in foster services, make a donation to LSF here today.  Or contact us for more information today (see gray column at left).
 

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