The Lost Boy of Sudan
For 20 years the people of Sudan have been at war with each other. Many people are battling for equality and human rights. Way back in history when Sudan was colonized the British demanded that the Southern and the Northern part of the country separate from one region. The civil war caused many predicaments. Poverty, the lack of basic resources, and a humanitarian crisis were threatening the country. A weak government refused to take any actions. The great diversity of ethnic groups that make up the Sudanese population ended up creating a misunderstanding between each culture and their beliefs. Due to this many people have no choice but to leave their homes and communities and be forced to migrate out of Sudan. Many become refugees that must flee for their safety. Of the thousands that were forced to migrate there was a group of boys who ran for their lives. Facing many difficulties they strived for a better life and to have peace in their country. Now, here is a story from one of the lost boys of Sudan. Peter Nyarol Dut is real person with a real story about a real country and the hardships they all face.
As a young orphaned boy in the Sudanese Civil War Peter knew about hardships. He along with thousands of others children had escaped the bombs, survived lion attacks and militia gunfire in order to reach the refugee camp in Kenya. Peter is one of the lucky ones who were given a new opportunity at life in the United States, safe away from physical danger and hunger. On his journey he himself had discovered that there is no place on Earth that you will find heaven and that he must fight and never give up on the hope of better life. When Peter first migrated to America he faced many obstacles trying to adjust to the American culture. At this time Peter was living in Houston, Texas where he felt alone having no friends, no education and knowing very little of the English language. Going to work every day with minimum wage jobs that paid only seven dollars an hour made it difficult on Peter. Back at home there a lot of people are relying on him to sent money back to his village but with this weight upon his shoulders he does not have enough money to support himself and take care of those he loves at home. Peter took action that would help himself. He knew that living in Houston wasn’t going to take him anywhere so he deiced to move to Kansas City where he could get an education. However, moving to Kansas didn’t make things easier. Now, Peter must learn what it’s like to juggle house work, work, and school. Many times it was very hard for Peter at school as he was dealing with the feeling of being an outcast. He felt he did not belong there going to school where all the kids could afford to go to school and did not understand him or where he came from. It is very different to what his friends might experience in their teenage lives.
Links:
http://www.lostboysfilm.com/index.html
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/sudan.htm
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/sudan-civil-war1.htm
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article31220
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Boys_of_Sudan
http://www.pbs.org/pov/lostboysofsudan/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383475/
http://books.google.com.my/books?id=aphYsTJiE8cC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+lost+boys+of+sudan&source=bl&ots=YgIHQOEnc6&sig=z_ZcOMJCLefKhOoWAXrTCLEd0Do&hl=en&ei=KGqfS-iNFIyOkQX1uLC8DA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CB0Q6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false
