The country of Sudan has become synonymous with war. The genocide in Dafur is the biggest massacre since the Second World War with millions killed and other millions displaced. Some of the people who survived, especially teenagers, sought refuge in Kenya, where they lived with other refugees at a refugee camp in Kenya. Some of these teenagers would soon be resettled in the US hence the name Lost Boys of Sudan. They are called Lost Boys because they were found without parents or relatives. They have no one to lean on but themselves and sometimes their friends at the refugee camp.
Over twenty thousand teenage boys were brought to the United States through a re-settlement program that seeks to provide these refugees the better life they were denied in their country. In the early 2000s, the Lost Boys were resettled in different towns and cities across the country. One group that I paid close attention to was a group of five to six teenagers resettled in Texas.
The Lost Boys were blessed with opportunities many of their friends back home would never see. They moved from sleeping on the floor to sleeping on a bunk bed. Some of them barely eat twice a day while they were living in Sudan and Kenya. No doubt their lives have been changed so they could change their families and country as well. But their lives were never changed without some disappointments or challenges. For example, the group of five to six teenagers resettled in Texas was constantly threatened by neighbors who would stop at nothing to steal from these poor and sympathetic teenagers. Another disappointment was the lack of Education; the Lost Boys were promised quality education long before they came to America. Their dream was to go to school because they believe that with good education, change in Sudan is very possible. But on their arrival, this promise was not fulfilled. Instead, they were left on their own after the first four months to work and feed themselves, pay the bills among other things. I still think that the lost boys have been very fortunate by courtesy of the Resettlement agency in the US, but if anything must be done, it must be done well: no false promise should be made. It is unnecessary to some extent, to promise them education when the re-settlement agency cannot provide. I think that bringing them to the US and assisting them with housing, food, health care and jobs alone is enough for these teenagers who previously can’t even afford two meals a day. This is not to say their education is not very important, but rather, they should not be promised something that cannot be fulfilled. But overall, it is good that a better meaning is given to the lives of these refugees and I’m optimistic about their future and their countries’.
Source: Lost Boys of Sudan, documentary
Mohammed Adawulai,
Simon’s Rock.
