I didn't know if I would find a good way of living anymore before I came to America. Now the traumatized 16-year-old stewed in his anger. I stayed flat and waited until nighttime. He is now a man who is working with a non-profit who is hoping to rebuild the southern Sudan. 1145 17th Street NW Many of them went on to earn college degrees and attain U.S. citizenship, while wondering whether they would someday have the opportunity to return to their homeland and reunite with the families they left behind. From time to time, we like to tell you about the movers and shakers who don't always make it to the front page. "It was better for his mother to come see him.". When the US resettlement program began in 1999, one requirement was that the children must be orphans. I was small so the other children carried me there. Mapping the Migration of the Lost Boys - National Geographic Society Nearly 4,000 were ultimately resettled in the U.S. His "beautiful life" in a small village on the banks of the Nile River came to an end when he was around 7. Urgent aid needed in Sudan and neighboring Chad. It was a bullet, but I didn't know what it was. Your fiancee, who you had promised that you were going to marry, was still in the refugee camp? They took me to the place where they had a lot of people they'd captured. Malnutrition rendered him temporarily blind at times. There was a movie about us. It's been difficult given the unstable environment. The tenuous peace held, and in 2011 southern Sudan held a referendum in which its people almost unanimously decided to secede from Sudan and form a new nation. They became known as "The Lost Boys . By David Weddle. SRU alum and 'Lost Boy' of Sudan preserves stories in children's book Terms of Service| They will best know the preferred format. When I got to my house, I accidentally kicked a can and the enemy heard me. Brennen Jensen for NPR The Lost Boys of Sudan | National Geographic Society They fled the country on foot via arduous cross-country treks and spent years in refugee camps. 1. I lived in a refugee camp there trying to find a way to get to America. Most of the older boys who came to the United States were eager to capitalize on opportunities for higher education, but found that their idea of becoming full time students was not a realistic goal. As small boys, Peter and Santino lost their families in the war and were forced to flee their homes. Explain that there is a group of over 25,000 young Dinka men who ran away from a civil war. I found the Sudanese Red Cross lady that had told me not to leave Pachala. Abraham But and his cousins were the first Lost Boys to arrive in Dallas-Fort Worth, they say, when they came to the U.S. in 2001. Eighty days in Kenya with a joyous family reunion, and also bringing in a new family member. The shells missed me. This is one of my favorite questions. Some 10,000 boys, between the ages of eight and 18, eventually made it to the Kakuma refugee campa sprawling, parched settlement of mud huts where they would live for the next eight years under the care of refugee relief organizations like the IRC. It seems that the encounter, painful as it was, proved to be a pivotal moment in your development. But the focal point here is that we sit down and see the big picture. CORLEY: So tell me a little bit about this, though. I don't know how, but the river was moving so fast it brought me to the other side. "We were crossing rivers and forest. [37] Further, women and children were often forced or coerced into a trafficking situation. Then, in 2005, news came that gave them hope: A peace agreement had been signed between North and South. Further, the Northern population was primarily Arabic-speakers, while the South comprised an English speaking population. Jeanne Wallace-Weaver, Educational Consultant, adapted from the National Geographic Xpeditions lessons God Grew Tired of Us: Migration and Cultural Interaction and God Grew Tired of Us: Culture Clash and Community-Building. On Sunday, Abraham But saw his mother for the first time in 30 years. Pre-teach relevant vocabulary, including human migration, immigrant, emigrant, refugee, and resettlement.2. The Amazing Story of a Lost Boy from South Sudan! Salva Dut I never thought I would see, in my life as a refugee, a country that was separating children from their parents. The Lost Boys are fighting in Iraq with the American military. I was living with a group of children in Panyido, Ethiopia who had also lost their families. So this is a time where people our need, you know, the implementation, that peace, and further is development. They crossed the Gilo River, which later would be the site of many deaths as other refugees attempted to flee, chased by Ethiopian rebel forces. And I was having a huge family of 11 members, where I had eight siblings. [6] In all, these competing identities and interests created an organized civil war lasting over two decades. Volunteers, many of whom became aware of the immense needs of this group through media coverage, also played a significant role in this area. When I got out of the water, the kids I was playing with were gone. It was dark. They traveled at night to avoid aerial bombardment and the daytime heat. And so we want to do whatever is necessary to avoid the situation that expelled people from their countries, because to be a refugee is to suffer, but to live in a refugee camp is far more worse, and I've been through those things. But it didn't work out. Those people need protection. We didn't have water or anything. Would she recognize him? There have been a number of books, films, and plays about the Lost Boys, including: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. One of them, Abraham Awolich, told The New York Times: I dont want to see another generation of children go through what Ive gone through and what other children of my generation went through.. An aerial view of Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, home to thousands of South Sudanese refugees, including the "Lost Boys.". food items consumed by . He walked over 2,000 miles. From there, we went to a place called Buma. My first memories of my childhood start when I was about five years old in my homeland of Sudan, the day when my parents' house was burned. I stayed there for most of the night. In the other part of the country, they need protection in place like Darfur. Water was scarce, and they would sometimes go half a day without a drink. They also got blissfully acquainted with something called pizza. Artem Ryzhykov during the early days of the Russian invasion, in Irpin, Ukraine. Its programs expanded over time to include all of the camps health services: treating refugees who arrived malnourished or sick, offering rehabilitation programs for those who were disabled, and working to prevent outbreaks of disease. How many members of your family survived? Women and small children (boys and girls) were taken to the north to be sold as slaves. Explore our discussion guides, reading lists, and lesson plans here. Santino is still living in Houston, along with many of his Sudanese friends. Students watch excerpts from the film God Grew Tired of Us. My sister and two of my nieces were taken during the war into slavery. CORLEY: Mm-hmm. "People would call me monkey, the 'n' word, you name it and I would record that and give it to the principal. You know how the Lost Boys got here? Let's talk a little bit about what's been happening since you came to the United States six years ago. [22] Numerous resettlement agencies, such as Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), World Relief and other privatized organizations assisted in this resettlement process. In Buma, I found the UN and they announced that they would take the little children. Mr. MAJOK: What I hope for my people, first, is that the situation that my people are in now has to change. The girls were expected to fulfill numerous domestic responsibilities that were often very taxing or even dangerous. I have many memories of my time in Ethiopia. The main story is about how they learn to live in America. Privacy Notice| Half of them died. Groups of Boys were often organized and led by the oldest boy in the group, who could be a young adult or sometimes as young as ten or twelve years old. We had to leave Pachala. Recruited by militants in the nineties, Elijah Manyok Jok escaped to Kenya where he received World Food Programme school meals, joining the organization as an adult - and then setting up his own NGO. Would he recognize her? My year of 100 boys produced 40 Oxbridge entrants, 24 with State Scholarships. I'm not denying that. Or, Mr. MAJOK: Not at all. "Because of the war. "I started having a tape recorder," he explained. Two million were killed and others were severely affected by the conflict. Therefore, the Lost Boys are more focused on in literature. "They would look after me and make sure I was not far behind," But said. The fighting put an end to three years of peace and a shaky stability following South Sudans declaration of independence from Sudan. If you found one kernel of corn you lived off that for a day or two. He grew up in what's now South Sudan and is a member of the Dinka tribe. [18] The arrival of the Lost Boys to the refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya were welcomed to various degrees. This is where I pray to have leadership that can embrace dialogue. "The area most affected was our hometown," said Thiong, a financial analyst. In 1994, I went back to Sudan. Why did you choose a career in humanitarian health? So I went and did my master's in public health, and I fell in love with a profession where I could couple my experience of living as a refugee with scientific research. Atem is a former Lost Boy, one of some 40,000 children orphaned by the Sudanese civil war in the 1990s. When I jumped into the river, I went too deep and my stomach was bleeding and I couldn't breathe. My dream is to have a dialogue on immigration. This occurs when someone experiences the loss of a family member without the closure of death, which allows for mourning and moving forward. [19][33] This marginalization heavily influenced their post-conflict recovery and integration in refugee camps and resettlement programs. I stayed down. The Lost Boys of Sudan; The Long, Long, Long Road to Fargo He and several cousins, who now live in North Dallas, were among about 20,000 "Lost Boys of Sudan" forced to flee as the Second Sudanese Civil War raged between 1983 and 2005, claiming But's father and 40 members of his extended family. The Lost Boys on this migration were on average extremely malnourished, as food was sourced through donations from villages encountered along the way, hunting, and theft. The Lost Boys of Sudan uses personal accounts from many lost boys to provide an immersive narrative of the inconceivable lives of the Lost boys. Refugee Program. Majok is one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, the young boys who walk thousands of miles, fighting starvation and wild animals as they fled the violence of their country during civil war. His name was Mabil. October 5 Mom and Dad were fighting. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This lists the logos of programs or partners of. hide caption. Raise your hand if you've ever spent more time picking out a movie to watch on Netflix than the length of the actual movie you ended up choosing (). Between 1992 and 1996, UNICEF reunited approximately 1,200 Lost Boys with their families. After graduating from Hillcrest, But chose to work, hoping to earn money to help his mother and siblings back home first as a salesperson at Home Depot, then at a school cafeteria in Lousiana. They finally came to the United States in 2001. Ask students if they're familiar with Peter Pan's Lost Boyscharacters in the J.M. Get the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond. So I remember how I was so adjusted walking day and night nonstop, because the journey was so long, and we spent some day maybe taking rest, then we would have perished like others who did not make it because they were thirst on the way, hunger, wild animals, and so we were just walking day and night until we reached, where we eventually arrived, which was Ethiopia in 1987. [1] The term was used by healthcare workers in the refugee camps and may have been derived from the children's story of Peter Pan by J. M. A night of soul-searching led him to a new strategy: technology over knuckles. Barrie novel Peter Pan who formed a family and took care of each other in Never-Never Land. The conflict displaced an estimated 5 million Sudanese. I have never lost hope in God that I believe, and I think that what is strengthened me and kept me going. PDF A Film by Megan Mylan and Jon Shenk How A Lost Boy From Sudan Found His True Calling In The U.S. - NPR The effects intensified once they reached Ethiopia's Pinyudo refugee camp, where latrines were in short supply. [16], Initially, most of the fleeing boys went to a refugee camp in Ethiopia, until the war in 1991 sent the boys fleeing again to a different refugee camp called Kakuma,[17] which is located in Kenya. Barrie. Also, a brother who went to Australia as a Lost Boy. Explain that there is a group of over 25,000 young Dinka men who ran away from a civil war. The young boys had fled as a result of the outbreak of civil war that was taking place during the time in southern . One was my father's brother-in-law. person who moves to a new country or region. Build background.Ask students if theyre familiar with Peter Pans Lost Boyscharacters in the J.M. [11] Much of the travel took place by foot in large groups with the boys traveling in single file lines. Lost Boys of Sudan follows two young Dinka refugees, Peter Nyarol Dut and Santino Majok Chuor, through their first year in the United States. [8] Children were highly marginalized during this period. Since then thousands of people have been killed and more than a million forced to flee their homes. It has been roughly estimated that about 20,000 young boys left their families and villages in Sudan. The media has focused on a group of refugee children internationally referred to as the "Lost Boys" of Sudan. During the Second Sudanese Civil War, children were unable to adequately support themselves and suffered greatly from the terror. You're only 26 years old now. I remember how vulnerable children are. "I always ask people in this country, when was the last time you drank your own urine?" The dialogue during the two dinner parties from hell is wonderfully bitchy and witty. At night, we were trying to sleep but some people came and shot at us. Some children were able to avoid capture or death because they were away from their villages tending cattle at the cattle camps (grazing land located near bodies of water where cattle were taken and tended largely by the village children during the dry season) and were able to flee and hide in the dense African bush. One of my friends was killed and one kid drowned in the water. Mark Bixler's The Lost Boys of Sudan: An American Story of The Refugee Experience. Students summaries should include: This activity targets the following skills: The resources are also available at the top of the page. I wanted to punch him because that's how we did it in Africa. Additionally, the conflict boosted economic elements. Point out the homeland of the Dinkain southern Sudan along the White Nile. She held her hands up to her face and stepped back. The Dinka tribe has been hardest hit. Copyright International Rescue Committee, 2023. They walked more than a thousand miles, half of them dying before reaching Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. Rape was rampant during attacks on villages as the attackers would use rape as a weapon of the war. All rights reserved. I understand there are still some. Lost Boys of Sudan was a movie following the lives of two men, by the names of Peter and Santino Chuor. I had to be scared all the time. They fled the country on foot via arduous cross-country treks and spent years in refugee camps. It was five more years before But, who graduated from Hillcrest High School in 2004, would be in touch with his mother again, only by phone and unlike his cousins he has not seen any of the family he left behind since he left in 1987, in big part due to his worsening health issues. He pulled me back and he said not to do it.". Months, or even years, would go by before they'd hear news of major events. His mother handed him a Sudanese mix of pulverized peanuts and corn. [6][7] In the Northerners' minds, the South was a legitimate place of conversation because the Christian religion promotes secularization. There was a lot of crying. I guess this outbreak is good for something. I dont want to see another generation of children go through what Ive gone through and what other children of my generation went through. Mr. MAJOK: When we came as political refugee when we're - when I resettled here, we were put in group of two or three or four or five people - Sudanese who know each other in the same apartment. The plot follows the circumstances of their horrific experiences from living during a civil war and then moving to the United States as refugees to seek education and opportunity. Students watch excerpts from the film God Grew Tired of Us to learn about the Lost Boys of Sudan and the refugee experience, map the Lost Boys migration journey, and discuss the challenges the Lost Boys faced while adapting to life in the United States and trying to maintain their cultural identities as Dinka. [3][4], The boys embarked on treacherous journeys to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya where thousands were sheltered for several years. What troubles you most about the refugee/asylum situation in the U.S.? Mr. JOHN MAJOK (Lost Boys of Sudan): Thank you very much for having me. When we see this sign that said 'Dead End' with our little English, we say, 'Wow, you go there, you will never die again.' It seemed like forever. Mr. MAJOK: The telephone. the movement of people from one place to another. To John Bul Dau, the story is all too familiar. Her sparkly blue earrings shookas she prayed, three decades of separation hanging between her and her son. In September of 2001, he moved to Houston, Texas, as part of the U.S. But, you know, we are willing to learn and just be able to put yourself in the society you can just learn. I thank God I was not killed. He didn't know how to swim either. Lost Boys are captains in the Air Force and engineers working on the Boeing 787. The "Lost Boys of the Sudan," are survivors from a tragedy that took place in southern Sudan in the early 1980s (IRC, 2014). National Geographic Headquarters Many of the Lost Boys resettled by the IRC also took part in IRC programs aimed at helping them cope with their traumatic past and easing their transition into such a different culture. It was how you survived. The SPLA estimated that 1,200 boys were recruited from groups of displaced children, although they deny forcing any of them into conflict. The circumstances aren't ideal, Thiong admitted. I couldn't run because the bullets were all around me. Each POV film comes with free resource materials to support those who want to bring the transformative power of documentary into community, classrooms, and libraries. Coming here, after drinking urine and eating mud and in a terrible condition, I felt really truly blessed with what we have in this country. I tried to go to my house. The IRC began working in Kakuma in 1992 to assist the Lost Boys and other refugees fleeing the fighting in Sudan. Have students locate Sudan on the map.Ask students to locate Sudan on a wall map of the world. Then they watch an excerpt from the film, God Grew Tired of Us, and write about it. They have been like family to each other for so long now, so it's best for them to continue to live as a family unit here.
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