All of my life I have heard the term ‘Lost Boys of Sudan’
but I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t actually know who they were until I
began researching them this year. In the book Migrations by Sebastião Salgado
there is a section dedicated to the Southern Sudan and how it is an entire
population in distress, and has been for many years. Since 1983, the Sudan
People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudanese Government have been at war in
southern Sudan. The conflict has already claimed more than 500,000 lives and
displaced huge numbers of people. Among these were at least 20,000 children,
mostly boys, between 7 and 17 years of age who were separated from their
families. These ‘lost boys’ of the Sudan trekked enormous distances seeking
refuge from the fighting. Hungry, frightened and weakened by sleeplessness and
disease, they crossed from the Sudan into Ethiopia and back, with many dying
along the way. The survivors are now in camps in Kenya, the Sudan and Uganda.
Traditionally in Sudan, after being initiated into manhood,
young boys would leave home for a period to look after cattle, go to school, or
seek fortune in the city, before eventually returning home. But during the war
this process escalated dramatically. Fearing they would be targeted as
potential combatants, many boys left their villages and headed for cities where
they hoped to find work or schooling, though as these cities became saturated
with migrants, the boys often had to resort to begging or petty crime. Another
alternative was to set out for refugee camps; however few were prepared for the
journey that often took 6-10 weeks, and many died of disease, hunger, or
exhaustion. (UNICEF)
Since 1992, United Nations International Children's
Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has managed to reunite nearly 1,200 boys with their
families. But approximately 17,000 remain in camps in the region.
To this day there are still stories of these ‘lost boys’
that come across the news; such as, Lopez Lomong who ran for America in the
2008 Beijing Olympics, just a year after becoming a citizen. “My journey
started when I was 6 years old […] we were in a church when the rebel soldiers
came in and ordered everyone to lay down. They took all the young kids to the
training camp - I was too young to hold an AK-47 and go to war because I was
only 6 years old. […] One night Lopez Lomong managed to crawl out of the rebel
camp and started running. He thought he was going back to his village, but his
first ever race took him all the way to Kenya, where he spent the next 10 years
in a refugee camp. Life was hard and he would run to forget his hunger. But one
day he caught a glimpse into another world. He spent all the money he had -
five shillings - to watch one Olympic race on TV.” It was shortly after that encounter
that the United States agreed to take 3,500 of Sudan's Lost Boys as part of a government
resettlement program, where he was able to live his dream and become an Olympic
athlete.
It is strange to think that so many horrible things can go
on in this world, and people don’t even have a clue. The phrase “ignorance is
bliss” may be true, but it isn’t practical. We must be willing to acknowledge
what is happening and search for ways to correct it, not just ignore it and
hope it will resolve itself. “Their issues are our issues.”
There are many ways that we can help whether it’s as simple
as donating to a foundation or volunteering in a refugee center. Here are some
places to start…
Donate at: http://www.allianceforthelostboys.com/
…. And many more!
Works Cited:
Salgado, Sebastião, and Lélia Wanick. Salgado.
"Southern Sudan: A Population in Distress." Migrations: Humanity in
Transition. New York: Aperture, 2000. 155-57. Print.
I've always been interested in the Lost Boys of Sudan but, like you, never really took the time to learn about them until this year. Your post is fascinating. The thing that strikes me the most about all of this is that these boys have to grow up before they're even teenagers. At 6 years old they are running for their lives, learning how to fend for themselves, and making life-altering decisions that many of us will never have to make. It's heartbreaking to imagine these boys deciding to make the dangerous trek to the refugee camps; I can imagine them consulting with each other, weighing the pros and cons, and then embarking on the journey that would prove to be the end of many of their lives.
ReplyDeleteThe United States really is in a position to make a difference in the lives of these boys and others facing struggles such as this. I'm thrilled that this Olympic government resettlement program has been successful; sports bring the world together, and it's a common dream for many young people to participate in them. This is the kind of thing I'd want to invest lots of time in... and your blog really helped me in my realization that I truly have a desire to volunteer my time to help with organizations like this one. Thanks.
This blog post is splendid. I absolutely love the story of Lopez Lomong from the Beijing olympics. That was such an incredible story. Possibly my favorite part of hearing all of these stories about refugees is how they overcome these struggles in their life. If I put myself in situations such as the women wearing burkas in Afghanistan or the Lost Boys of Sudan, I don't think I could overcome the trials that I had been placed in front of. My utmost admiration goes out to those who suffer trials far worse than mine, and take them with a grain of salt and make the best out of the worst situations. Thanks for your eye opening blog post!
ReplyDeleteHey Sami, I really loved your blog post. Like you, I never paid as much attention as I should have to the "lost boys". I was vaugely familiar with them but never took the time to learn about them. Your last paragraph about ignorance is bliss really hit home for me because I feel like that is the attitude of many people, especially teenagers today. It seems that most people don't care about things like this as long as it is not affecting them directly. This state of mind needs to change, and I think that awareness like this is the first step to improving our own lives as well as others. Thanks for the awesome post! (:
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