The Lost Boys of Sudan

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Recommended: History of conflict in Sudan

The Lost Boys of Sudan
The lost boys of Sudan did not only show courage but also perseverance when they were forced to flee their home, leaving everything behind to find safety, after their village and all their loved ones were destroyed by the war.
In 1983 the Second Sudanese Civil War took place; Arabic Muslims from the North of Sudan attacked southern villages killing more than one million civilians and leaving more than twenty thousand of boys orphaned− often referred to as the Lost Boys of Sudan−. Afraid of meeting the same fate as their families, these boys set out on a difficult journey through Africa seeking refuge.
Along the way, to survive, the boys ate leaves, wild berries and small insects and drank water from mud and even their own urine. According to Amal, one of the lost boys, planes from the United Nations and the American Red Cross would sometimes drop food for them. Despite this, many of the boys died due to starvation, dehydration or were killed by wild animals.The older children would pick up the younger ones and help them when they were too tired to walk. After two long months of walking the boys finally reacheda United Nations refugee camp in Ethiopia. They stayed there for four years; during that time they studied and learned English and made their own families−composed of 9-10 boys− every one of them looked after one another. Following the changes of government in Ethiopia, in 1991, they found themselves running for their lives once again. Chased by tanks and armed militia the boys, headed for Kenya, came in contact with the River Gilo; the river was swarmed with crocodiles and its waters were high. They rushed to it and frantically swam towards the other side, safety, but many drowned, were shot at or w...

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...any hardships here in America like struggling to pay the bills and finding a scholarship so they can go to college and also about trying to save money from their low earnings to reunite with their families. But at least in the United States the boys can determine who they want they are and their future. In twenty years from now I see the Lost Boys of Sudan inspiring the newer generations with their amazing journey about courage and perseverance.

Works Cited

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~czerw20m/lostboys/lostboys.html https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~czerw20m/lostboys/sudanesewar.html http://www2.redcross.org/news/in/africa/0108lostboyspage.html http://bayweekly.com/old-site/year05/issuexiii23/leadxiii23.html http://www.unicef.org/sowc96/closboys.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3602724.stm http://www.cbsnews.com/news/our-amazing-12-year-journey-with-the-lost-boys/

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