Deng Adut is a lot taller and older than Deng Akech, but the two Sudanese-Australians both dressed sharply for their meeting in Canberra today.
Mr Adut is now a high-profile Sydney lawyer and a nominee for 2017 Australian of the Year award, while the younger Deng is a student at Lyons Early Childhood Centre in Canberra.
The young Deng and students at his school raised $100 for the Mr Adut created, which offers scholarships to disadvantaged students in Australia.
“That $100 will be spent on somebody that wants to be educated,” Mr Adut said.
“It’s bigger than a million dollar gift, (which) is what I can say so I thank the parents, I thank little Deng, thanks from big Deng to little Deng that he has done a fantastic job.”
Mr Adut met with dozens of children at the early education centre to tell them some of his life story.
Deng Adut meeting the children (SBS) Source: SBS
As a child, he was taken from his mother and forced to fight in the Sudanese civil war.
His brother smuggled him out of Sudan to Kenya, before they made the journey to Australia in 1998.
“He has done a lot for me,” he said of his older brother John Mac.
“He saved my life, he smuggled me out from the war and gave me an opportunity to come to this country and stand on this platform today.”
When John Mac was killed in Sudan in 2014 during a humanitarian mission, Mr Adut created the charity in his brother’s name.
The charity aims to establish a law library at the University of Juba in South Sudan and to facilitate legal exchanges with Australia.
The Australian of the Year nominee wanted to tell the children in Canberra how important it was to stay in school.
He also expressed the need for young Australians, no matter where they come from, to forge a national identity.
“The children should be inspired. They should not be divided in any way. They should not be ethnic. Australia is not ethnic. Australia is Australia, there’s one Australia so I’ll be pushing that message,” he said.
“That’s my religion … they should appreciate Australia and not take anything for granted.”
Deng Adut speaking to the children (SBS) Source: SBS
Mr Adut was named NSW Australian of the Year in 2017, making him eligible for the national honour, which will be announced this week.
His law firm, AC Law Group, provides pro-bono work for clients across Sydney's western suburbs, including the city centres of Parramatta and Blacktown.
