The “Lost Boys” of Sudan

The "lost boys" are refugees. Who Are the Lost Boys of Sudan?

Over 20,000 boys who were orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War—most from South Sudan. These boys escaped the fighting and had to run for their lives. Called the Lost Boys of Sudan because they arrived at Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya without parents. Who Are the Lost Boys of Sudan?

“It was no small journey of days or weeks…in many cases it took years. Thousands died trying to find asylum. They died of thirst, of hunger, of eating mud to get the water out of it. They died crossing rivers they could not swim. 100’s were eaten by crocodiles. Some just sat down and died of weariness.” Who Are the Lost Boys of Sudan?

UNICEF reunited boys with their families. 2001, U.S. and U.N. resettled 3800 “lost boys” in the U.S.—the documentary follows some of them. The program was halted b/c of 9/11, but restarted in Despite the opportunities presented to them in the U.S., many faced extreme difficulties here, adjusting to American life after over a decade in a refugee camp. Who Are the Lost Boys of Sudan?

Before Watching, Think About It:  How might daily life and customs be different in Sudan than in the USA?  What types of things would be different or the same?  Do you think it would be easy to adjust to living in Sudan if you moved their tomorrow? Explain.

After peace came to Sudan in 2005, many “Lost Boys” returned to South Sudan to work on building the new government there. However, civil war in the South has caused new problems. John Dau still lives in Syracuse and is a motivational speaker and head of the John Dau Foundation, dedicated to transforming healthcare in South Sudan. Panther Bior is a successful accountant, married to the woman he speaks of in the film. He fundraises to build schools in South Sudan. Daniel also received a college degree and lives in Pittsburgh near Panther. How can we help? Help educate girls (and boys): projecteducation.org AND Healthcare: Johndaufoundation.org The Lost Boys Today