The Lost Boys

Aid workers coined the term because the group of mostly boys resembled Peter Pan's fictional ragtag band of orphans. Yet, despite their name, the Lost Boys are remarkable in that many found their way to safety despite encountering unimaginable horrors.

When fighting broke out between the Islamic government in the north and the Christian and animist rebels in the south, the boys ran from their villages and were separated from their parents in the exodus. Orphaned teens and toddlers alike joined thousands of Sudanese refugees as they trekked hundreds of miles across the blistering hot desert to Ethiopia, back to Sudan and then into Kenya. Some walked the distance from Seattle to San Francisco.

They survived on leaves, roots and discarded animal carcasses. The boys told stories of lions eating the weak who fell behind; of watching friends drown in rivers; of playmates becoming so thirsty they drank urine to prevent dehydration. Those who survived - only half did - made their way to Kakuma Camp in 1992 and to the protection of the United Nations.

In 1999, the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees and the U.S. State Department referred about 3,800 children and young adults to the United States for permanent resettlement.

Churches and relief agencies in Louisville, KY help many boys and their families start a new life in freedom and safety by finding them homes, educational opportunities, training, and employment.

Donate to The International Rescue Committee.

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