History typically portrays war with a focus on the men who were involved and affected by it. Often forgotten are the stories of the women who suffer because of war. Tuesday night, a panel discussion titled “Women in War” brought together women from Africa and the Middle East to tell how war has affected their lives.

Three of the women who spoke about their lives were from the country of Sudan.

The war in Sudan goes back to the 1880s, but the recent war in the media began in 1983 because of religion and resources, said Mary Chol-Flower, a Sudanese refugee. The country was divided between the North and the South and the South took arms against the North, she said.

“Oil was being sold and arms were being bought then used to kill the Southerners. It is blood money that is being used instead of helping the country,” Chol-Flower said. “So many things added to the conflict, it is a very complex war.”

Chol-Flower said she was living mainly in the North from 1982 with her mother. They had moved from the South to the North when the war began.

“We did a lot of trekking; walking by night,” she said. “We had to be hiding in the day because if you were caught you had to be moved back.”

She then lived with her uncle in Nairobi, Kenya, where she had to learn a different language and adjust to the culture. She attended school in Nairobi and then applied for a scholarship to go to Ohio University to major in international relations and minor in political science.

Her story of struggle is just one of many that are left untold. The war leaves many women suffering.

“I left Sudan 15 years ago go. I haven’t seen my mother because of the civil war,” said Awein Majak, junior in biology.

“I remember when my father was killed they took me to my uncle’s house, but I ran back. I found his body on the floor. I ran up to him. I still remember the blood on my hand after I touched my father.”

Majak said after that, her uncle took her with him to Egypt and they then went to Yemen where her uncle worked to support them until they came to the United States.

Donna Cowan, professor emerita in the department of apparel educational studies and hospitality management, and Margaret LaWare, associate professor of English, said they are working to see what can be done in Ames to help the refugees, especially women.

“I have been working with some of the agencies here in town,” Cowan said.

“Getting to know the community, it must be very difficult. They don’t know how to get around, so the people tend to be in their homes and are not familiar with the resources that are available.”

The programs that they are working toward Cowan said are working to get grants to work with women refugees in life skills programs, education and English programs.

“We are working in partnership with some of the churches so there would be no salaries involved. All the money would go to the participants,” Cowan said.