Lost Boys Visit, Inspire Medway Sixth Graders and Parents

The sixth grade students at Medway Middle School were recently given an opportunity to meet three truly inspiring men and hear their incredible life stories. Deng Jongkuch, Machar Nai, and Abraham Thon, better known as the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” inspired students, and later parents in a separate presentation, as part of Medway Middle School’s World History curriculum.

For the past seven years, the Lost Boys’ story has spread globally thanks to speaking engagements, the riveting documentary film “God Grew Tired of Us” and the newly released Hollywood movie “The Good Lie”. Their story goes back to the early 80s, when tensions escalated in Sudan between the northern and southern regions. Primarily Muslium, Northern Sudan was home to the national government who wanted control of vital resources in southern Sudan, which was primarily Christian and ruled by tribal governments. When tensions boiled over, the Northern army invaded the South, sending thousands of Sudanese fleeing – many of them young children since most Sudanese over the age of 13 had volunteered (or were forced into) serving in the army. Children as young as three walked over 500 miles to a refugee camp in Pinyudu, Ethiopia where they lived for years.

In 1990-1991, the Ethiopian government fell and was replaced by a rebel government friendly with Northern Sudan. Once again, the Sudanese were refugees and walked back through Sudan to Kenya, totaling over 1,000 miles since the conflict began. The children were given the name “The Lost Boys” and they endured many hardships, including soldiers’ gunfire, bombings by plane, and crossing the crocodile-infested Gilo River. In northern Kenya, they found safety at the Kakuma Refugee Camp, where the UN helped thousands of children like Deng, Machar and Abraham through American resettlement programs.

In both presentations, The Lost Boys inspired the Medway students and parents with their tales of survival, perseverance and resilience. They conveyed a message of hope, and the need for collaboration and community among individuals and the global community. Most importantly, they spoke about one thing students sometimes take for granted: access to education. Deng, Machar and Abraham spoke eloquently about the importance of taking their studies seriously, and how lucky the children were to have caring parents, teachers, and administrators who serve as positive adult role models.

While it may seem redundant to stress to school children the importance of education, the Lost Boys seemed to reach middle school students on a different level when they talked about their own journey, and described their own educational experience under a tree in Kenya, using fingers and dirt as paper and pencils. All who witnessed the Lost Boys’ stories left the presentations inspired by Deng, Machar, and Abraham, and grateful.

The Lost Boys of Sudan is a topic of study for sixth grade as part of the World History curriculum. Deng Jongkuch runs a charity organization called ImpactAVillage, providing education and healthcare projects around the world. Since reading about the Lost Boys last year, Medway’s sixth grade class and school community have taken the lesson of helping others to heart and proudly donated over $2,000 to ImpactAVillage to help build a primary school in Malek, South Sudan. To learn more, visit: http://www.impactavillage.org/

Submitted by Doug Herbst, Sixth Grade Teacher

Medway Middle School

dherbst@medway.k12.ma.us