Reunification of Lost Boys
What would you say to your family if you knew you had just one last chance to speak to them for the next twenty years? Whatever you choose, that last moment will be on your mind for the next 20 years. Conversely, what would you say after the 20 years had passed, and you finally had a chance to see them again?
While most of us will never know what this feels like, this is precisely what many of the Lost Boys of Sudan have gone through. After being separated from their families for at least twenty years, some Lost Boys who were resettled in Colorado are now being reunited with their families in Africa. Project Education Sudan has the pleasure of helping to make these reunifications possible.
The first of the Lost Boys in Colorado to be reunited with his family, (and PES Vice President) Isaac Khor Bher, completed his first return trip to Sudan in 2005, after twenty years away from family and friends. While being separated from his family, Isaac wondered if he would ever get to talk to them again — and even on the plane ride to Sudan, he could not believe his dream was coming true. The chaos and imbalance that he fled from 20 years ago finally seemed to be coming to an end.
PES’ work to reunify Lost Boys like Isaac with their families in Sudan has in turn led to a very unique relationship with the three Sudanese communities that the Lost Boys we have reunited are from: Maar, Konbek, and Pagook. By helping Lost Boys reconnect with the families they thought they may never see again, Project Education Sudan has achieved the trust of these communities, allowing us to help them rebuild schools in their villages that were destroyed in the war. Our vision started small, focusing on Isaac’s village; however, we decided to expand to the three villages, after it became increasingly clear that we could not just help one village. Our mission is to provide the Sudanese in these villages with the resources that they have been deprived of for so many years, while also allowing them to be partners in the work we do in order to instill a sense of ownership in the project.
Reunifying the Lost Boys with their families in Sudan distinguishes Project Education Sudan from other similar organizations around the country. We feel that the privilege of being part of the reunification has allowed our group to establish a closer working relationship with the Sudanese and build lasting relationships with the villages that the Lost Boys are from.
Please check out One Story: Isaac Khor Bher
A short documentary capturing the compelling and poignant memories of a young man who was torn from his family and village by enemy attacks at the tender age of 6. It captures Isaac’s pivotal moments of memory from tending goats as a young boy to walking barefoot for 1,000 miles across Southern Sudan to Ethiopia. He, along with 30,000 other war orphans, traveled from enemy soldiers and wild animals. Trying to cross the Gilo River to safety, 14,000 Lost Boys perished in one day due to enemy gunfire and drowning. Along the way, a young boy becomes a man too soon. Isaac savors precious moments of sweet bee honey, a miraculous rain, a spoonful of water, as well as learning from the brave teachers who protected and defended the young boys. It is a story of courage, hope, faith, and reunification. Isaac was reunified with his mother Yar June 6, 2005, at the age of 28, after a separation of over 20 years.
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This Love Story Began in Sudan
Channel 9 News story of “Lost Boy” and PES board member, Panther Kuol, and his wife, “Lost Girl” Mary Deng, a touching story of the birth of their son, Kuol.
