Sudanese man comes to the US for a better education

Belil said he was living in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan, which is now separate from South Sudan, which gained its independence in July 2011.

[...] South Sudan has plunged into armed conflict between rival political factions, while Sudan has remained peaceful.

[...] he mentioned the opportunity to send money back to Sudan to help family members who still live there.

Having relatives who live halfway around the world in Sudan is definitely the hardest thing about Belil's decision to come to the United States.

When they flew from Sudan to the United States in 2015, Belil said his wife, Arsala, and their young daughter, first arrived in New York City, where they stayed for just three days before heading out to Grand Island.

Immigration officials also know that the presence of JBS means that Belil likely would be able to find work soon after his arrival.

Belil said his online course materials makes it extremely important for him to learn English, so he can read and understand the material when he is on his own and does not have the help of someone like Noble.

Noble marvels at Belil's story of coming to Grand Island in a rented van, along with Arsala, their young daughter, and eight other Sudanese immigrants with only road maps as guidance.

When Belil called and said he needed help with his paper, Noble agreed to meet him for a special session at the library to give him some feedback on what he had written.

Noble said that CCC's ESL classes help students, but the Literacy Council of Grand Island has its own special niche for teaching immigrants how to speak English.

The Literacy Council is such a fine organization for these people because even if they continue in that group setting, that one-on-one is so crucial for them to gain confidence and for them to feel like they can succeed.