The Synergy Project Magazine - August 2020

THEY REFUSED TO GIVE
supplies and their frequent uprooting
because they wanted a better life for
themselves. They wanted a chance at an
education, a job, a life after the war ended.
One of the Lost Boys, Michael Ayen, who
was 18 at the time, stated that “in the
future I would like to be a doctor even
though I only have one hand … In 1986,
the government came and bombed the
outskirts of my village. I was only 9 years
old when I lost my hand” (Walgren 40).
Ultimately, the Second Sudanese
Civil War was devastating to the Sudanese
people. As of 1994, out of the 12 million
people living in Sudan, most of them
had been “displaced at least once by
the war” (Walgren 40). The people of
Sudan were left with lost loved ones and
a significant emotional toll. A 2004 New
York Times article outlined the provisions
stated in the war-ending accord signed
in Naivasha, Kenya, which temporarily
split the power between the northern and
southern regions of Sudan and allowed
for a future referendum if the southern
Sudanese people wanted to secede (Hoge
A3). The southern Sudanese people
eventually decided to secede in their 2011
referendum, creating the country of South
Sudan (McDermott).
However, the creation of a new
country could not mend the separated
families, dead civilians, and lost children.
During its struggle for independence, the
Southern Sudanese inadvertently split
thousands of boys from their families,
many of whom died trying to find safety.
These boys had their innocence stripped
from them and endured unbelievable
emotional trauma, yet they refused to give
up. These kids understood the importance
of their education in their future and
ensured that they continued to learn, even
though the odds were stacked against
them. The resilience of the Lost Boys of
Sudan truly exemplifies the tenacity of the
human spirit and hope itself.
Works Cited
Bernstein, Judy A. “An Introduction to the Lost Boys.” Introduction. They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky:
The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan, by Alephonsion Deng et al., 10th Anniversary ed.,
PublicAffairs, 2005, pp. xviii-xxv.
Hoge, Warren. “Rebels Sign Pact with Sudan’s Government to End 21-Year War.” New York Times,
27 May 2004, p. A3. Global Issues in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A117251803/
GIC?u=anna70394&sid=GIC&xid=271943ce. Accessed 22 Feb. 2019.
McDermott, Ted. “Refugees, Sudanese and South Sudanese.” Immigration and Migration: In Context, edited by
Thomas Riggs and Kathleen J. Edgar, vol. 2, Gale, 2018, pp. 690-94. In Context Series. Global Issues in
Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3662200136/GIC?u=anna70394&sid=GIC&xid=c71c0a23.
Accessed 16 Feb. 2019.
Walgren, Judy. “The Lost Boys of Southern Sudan.” Africa Report, vol. 39, no. 3, May 1994, p. 40. MasterFILE
Elite, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=fth&AN=9406210409. Accessed 25 Feb. 2019.
Burnett, Richard. “‘Lost Boy’ Finds a Better Life in America.” Wells Fargo Stories, Wells Fargo, 26 July 2019,
stories.wf.com/lost-boy-finds-better-life-america/. Accessed 31 Jul. 2020.
24 POLITICAL