Sudan experience an episode in life

By Shaun Inguanzo
A DANDENONG police member has compared the experience of his tour of war-torn Sudan to the Survivor television show.
Senior Constable Joey Herrech of Region 5’s Multicultural Liaison Unit and Dandenong Senior Sergeant Ian Gillespie embarked on the humanitarian tour late last month in a bid to gain a first-hand understanding of the culture, background and living situation in the troubled third-world country.
The tour is aimed at helping Victorian police better relate to Sudanese migrants, many of whom are living Greater Dandenong.
The two officers have been sleeping in mud brick huts during the trip and living without electricity, phones, hot water and many other creature comforts to which they were previously accustomed.
Sen Const Herrech compared his life-changing experience to an episode of television show Survivor.
“The trip has been extremely tough,” he said via text message from Sudan.
“The average temperature has been about 40 degrees and we have been living exactly as people in the villages do.
“It has been an absolute life-changing experience for us and I will certainly never complain about my life again after seeing how the Sudanese live.
“It has been like a real-life episode of Survivor and we now have an invaluable understanding of how the Sudanese live before they come to Australia.”
The pair return home tomorrow (Friday).