A 35-year-old Sudanese refugee has thanked Prisoners of Conscience Holiday Fund Jersey for facilitating a “life-changing and profoundly impactful” week in the island that left “a long-lasting positive mark”.
Mo, an engineer from an African tribe in Darfur, is living in the UK where he is studying towards the completion of his MSc in data science next year.
He was granted asylum in September 2024.
Prisoners of Conscience Holiday Fund Jersey provides restorative holidays in the island for human rights advocates who have successfully claimed asylum to live in the UK.
The charity told Express that Mo’s tribe “is one of the African ethnic groups which has faced persecution and discrimination by the Sudanese government for many years”.
“While at university in Sudan, our guest began to speak out about the systemic persecution and oppression of African tribes in Sudan, marginalisation, and deprivation of education,” it continued.
“He was detained multiple times and subjected to physical torture and psychological and verbal abuse due to his activism and criticism of the regime.”
On his holiday, Mo explored the island and spent time at a number of locations including Gorey Castle, Bonne Nuit and La Corbière.
This journey was not a mere break from work and study; it marked the first real holiday in my life
Mo
He enjoyed a flight over Jersey with Skywalker Flight Training, a surfing session with Healing Waves and a RIB trip with a PoCHFJ supporter, among other activities.
He also visited Government House for a coffee and a chat with Lieutenant-Governor Vice-Admiral Sir Jerry Kyd about global issues.
“Everyone who met him found Mo to be a truly charming young man, with beautiful English, very chatty and interesting, very intelligent and extremely thrilled to be here,” PoCHFJ said, noting that their guest had been “very keen to explore and see and do as much as possible” and had done “plenty of preparatory reading about Jersey”.
In a letter of thanks to the charity, Mo expressed “deep gratitude and appreciation” and described his time in the island as “life-changing and profoundly impactful”, citing the “genuine human connection and kindness” shown by those he met during his visit.
“This journey was not a mere break from work and study; it marked the first real holiday in my life,” he wrote.
“It has left a long-lasting positive mark on me. I enjoyed every moment. This holiday definitely reminded me of the goodness that still exists in people.
“It also grounded me, gave me the chance to take a breath, and provided a much needed break from the relentless stress of my life.”
