Getting to know you

THE Help Our People Educate (HOPE) South Sudanese youth group has launched a theatre production aimed at helping the broader community better understand Sudanese culture.
The Family is the company’s second performance and launched last Wednesday night to a delighted audience of 40 people at the Springvale Community Centre.
Lead actor Bijenj Ret Chol said The Family worked both ways, allowing Sudanese people to also better understand Australian culture.
The Family analyses some of the conflicts that arise between the younger generation of south Sudanese refugees in Australia, their elders, and service providers that help them settle into life in Australia.
“The young people here, we don’t have traditional culture, but neither are we Australian, so we’re really out there alone, making our own culture,” Bijenj said.
All of the actors in the play are young people who came to the area as refugees from south Sudan.
“Our intention in coming to Australia is to build a new life, to make our community grow in an effective way and really show that we are a group that can contribute to Australian community,” Bijenj said.