Unit 3  Humanitarians
Reading 1 John Bul Dau and the “Lost Boys of Sudan”
1  In Northeastern Africa from 1983 to 2005, when Sudan was one country, the Second Sudanese Civil War was fought between the north and south. During that time, about two million people died from war, hunger, and disease. Five million people were displaced, including the 27,000 “Lost Boys of Sudan” who were driven from their villages by the war. Among these boys was a resilient, persevering, and courageous born leader named John Bul Dau.
2  Dau’s challenges began in 1987, when he was 13 years old. His village in the south was attacked by government troops from the north. As bullets from guns shrieked and his village burned, Dau made an escape. In the chaos, he became separated from his family and had to survive on his own. After a while, he joined thousands of other boys as they escaped on foot. We now know these boys as the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” At that time, Dau didn’t know that his journey would be over 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) long and last 14 years. He did
n’t know that he would survive his many trials, and show leadership, compassion, endurance, and the courage of a hero.
pushed3  Many of the boys who escaped the fighting had been taking care of their cattle when the soldiers attacked their villages. They ran when they saw the soldiers coming and hid anywhere they could. At first, the boys were alone but eventually they came together as a group. As Dau and the other “Lost Boys” walked across Sudan, they faced many life-threatening challenges. Every day was a test of strength, courage, and endurance.
4  As the soldiers went after them, the boys encountered the added dangers of wild animals, hunger, thirst, and illness. Some boys were killed by lions. At night, the boys hid in trees to get away from the wild animals. They ate grass, tree leaves, and mud. Hunger and thirst were their constant companions. Like a herd of desperate antelope, they searched for water in a dry wilderness while keeping an eye out for their hunters. Their tongues were like sandpaper and their stomachs an empty, bottomless hole. They were barefoot and wore thin pieces of clothing that didn’t protect them from the sun during the
day and the cold desert at night. Many died, as death followed them like a hungry animal. And all the time, fear and loneliness hung over them like a dark cloud, and they thought constantly of their parents and longed to see their families again.
5  Yet Dau persevered courageously by putting one foot in front of the other along the endless journey ahead. He did not only think of himself. Caring and compassionate, he looked after the younger children, some only two or three years old. As one of the older boys, he led several groups on their journey over hundreds of miles. He was a young leader and a source of comfort for the suffering children.
6  Finally, the boys reached a refugee camp in Ethiopia. It must have seemed like finding a lake in the desert. They found shelter there for almost four years. But war broke out there too, so the boys escaped back to Sudan. The Ethiopian soldiers pushed them to the border, where they had to cross the Gilo River. The soldiers shot at them, so the boys jumped into the water. Many drowned because they couldn’t swim. Others were eaten by crocodiles. And many were shot before they reached the other side.
7  Back in Sudan the boys went to a refugee camp, but there was no relief from their suffering. The government of the North heard that the boys had returned. Twice every day the military bombed the camp. The boys decided to move again. With the Northern Sudanese soldiers following them, many of the boys were killed or taken along the way. Somehow, Dau and the other survivors found the strength and courage to continue their escape to safety. Again, Dau showed his leadership, courage, and compassion as he cared for and led groups of boys on their journey.
8  Finally, they reached a refugee camp in Kenya, where Dau stayed for the next 10 years. Now 17, he attended school for the first time in his life. He started out with only sticks to write his numbers and letters on the ground. Nevertheless, Dau was a hardworking student. Determined not just to survive but somehow to succeed, he received the Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education.
9  Over the years, people around the world learned about the “Lost Boys”. In the United States, several organizations started programs to resettle the refugees. In 2001, Dau bec
ame one of the 3,800 chosen to begin new lives in the U.S. He joined 140 who were brought to Syracuse, New York. Like so many others, Dau experienced culture shock in his new country. He felt like a fish out of water in the modern city. Everything was so different from anything he had ever known or experienced before. On his first trip to a supermarket, he may as well have been on the moon. But as he had shown time and again, John Bul Dau was a resilient young man. Eventually, he adjusted to his new life, and with his usual courage, determination, and hard work, he made another journey—this time on the road to success. Working 60 hours a week at two and sometimes three jobs, he earned enough to bring his mother and sister from Sudan. He also received an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University.

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