Lost Boys of Sudan

:"This is about the International Rescue Committee program. For other uses see Lost Boys"

The Lost Boys of Sudan are more than 27,000 boys who were displaced and/or orphaned during the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005, about 2 million killed). [http://www.lostboysofsudan.com/ Lost Boys of Sudan] , official IRC website.]

History

Many of the boys came from the predominantly Christian southern section of Sudan who were fleeing persecution by Muslims that dominated northern Sudan. The name was given by aid organizations, including the International Rescue Committee program which resettled some of these refugees from Sudan to the United States.

In 2001, about 3801 Lost Boys arrived in the United States, where they are now scattered in about 38 cities, averaging about 100 per city. Halted after 9/11 for security reasons, the program restarted in 2004, but peace talks were underway in Sudan, and so other refugee crises in other countries took priority. As of 2006, the largest population of Sudanese refugees in the United States is in Omaha, Nebraska which hosts about 7,000 people. [Burbach, C. "Rally features Sudanese vice president." "Omaha World-Herald". July 22, 2006.] A variety of charities helped bring Sudanese refugees to the United States, such as Catholic Charities. A variety of programs have been done to help and understand these displaced people, everything from reconnecting to the their traditional dancing [McMahon, Felicia. 2005. Repeat Performance: Dancing DiDinga with the Lost Boys of Southern Sudan. "Journal of American Folklore" vol. 118, no. 469, pp 354-579] to dental work to replace teeth which had been removed by traditional custom, but whose loss is negative in the USA [ http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2005/02/07/local/doc42069e27daa9e544929434.txt ] .

Most of the boys were orphaned or separated from their families when government troops systematically attacked villages in southern Sudan killing many of the inhabitants, most of whom were civilians. The younger boys survived in large numbers because they were away tending herds or were able to escape into the nearby jungles. Orphaned and with no support, they would make epic journeys lasting years across the borders to international relief camps in Ethiopia and Kenya evading thirst, starvation, wild animals, insects, disease, and one of the most bloody wars of the 20th century. Experts say they are the most badly war-traumatized children ever examined.

When villages were attacked, girls were raped, killed, taken as slaves to the north, or became servants or adopted children for other Sudanese families. As a result, relatively few girls made it to the refugee camps.

Books and film

There have been a number of books and films about the Lost Boys, including:
*2007: The "" episode originally airing on October 30, 2007 contained a segment on Macharia Yuot, a distance runner, formerly of Widener University, who was a Lost Boy.
*2007: The "Without A Trace" episode "Lost Boy" (season 6, first aired September 27, 2007), included two "Lost Boys" from Sudan as supporting characters.
*2007: John Bul Dau and Michael Sweeney, "God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir". The life story of John Dau, who was also chronicled in the 2006 documentary "God Grew Tired of Us". ISBN 978-1426201141
*2006: Dave Eggers, "". A novel based on the story of Valentino Achak Deng, now living in the US.
*2006: Christopher Dillon Quinn, "God Grew Tired of Us", documentary about John Dau, Daniel and Panther, now living in the US.
*2005: Judy A. Bernstein (ed.), "They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky". The true story in their own words of the 14-year journey of Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng and Benjamin Ajak, now living in the US. [http://www.theypouredfire.com book website]
*2005: Mark Bixler, "The Lost Boys of Sudan: An American Story of the Refugee Experience" [http://www.lostboysbook.com book website] .
*2005: Joan Hecht, "The Journey of the Lost Boys". ISBN 0-9763875-0-6 [http://www.thejourneyofthelostboys.com book website]
*2005: "Dinka Diaries", documentary about Lost Boys in Philadelphia, [http://www.der.org/films/dinka-diaries.html film website]
*2004: Abraham Nhial and DiAnn Mills, "Lost Boy No More". ISBN 0-80543186-1
*2004: The "7th Heaven" episode "" (season 8, first aired May 3, 2004), depicted two Lost Boys.
*2003: "Lost Boys of Sudan"
*2003: ""

ee also

*John Dau
*God Grew Tired of Us
*Lopez Lomong

References

External links

* [http://www.johndaufoundation.org/ John Dau Sudan Foundation] , a Foundation founded by Lost Boy John Dau and dedicated to transforming healthcare in Southern Sudan.
* [http://www.valentinoachakdeng.org The Valentino Achak Deng Foundation]
* [http://www.lostboysofsudan.com/ Lost Boys of Sudan] , official IRC website.
* [http://www.redcross.org/news/in/africa/0108lostboyspage.html Lost Boys] from the Red Cross.
* [http://www.ryanspencerreed.com/ Photojournalist's Account] - Images of Sudan's displaced
* [http://www.yoism.org/?q=node/235#sudan God Grew Tired of Us] - Excerpts from a documentary about the Lost Boys
* [http://www.freshministries.com/lostboys.html Lost Boys Program] Fresh Ministries'
* [http://www.sepnet.org/ Sudan Emancipation & Preservation Network (SEPNet)]
* [http://www.allianceforthelostboys.com/ Alliance For The Lost Boys]
* [http://www.lostboys.org.au/ Sudanese Lost Boys Association of Australia]
* [http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/788/?PHPSESSID=5c...fliegen%3C/a "Do Not Forget The Lost Girls of Sudan"] , Refugees International, February 11, 2002.
* [http://www.gabrielsdream.org/ Gabriel's Dream] A charity dedicated to securing education and dental care for the lost boys.
* [http://www.theypouredfire.com/ They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky] Official book site
* [http://david-morse.com/hopeforariang/ Hope for Ariang] , "Lost Boy" Gabriel Bol Deng's project to build a primary school in the Bhar El Ghazal region
* [http://www.lostboysfilm.com/ Lost Boys of Sudan] , documentary film
* [http://nppa10.org/?p=77 Between Two Worlds: A Personal Journey] , Photographs by Eli Reed of the Lost Boys of Sudan