Search -
The Lost Boys of Natinga: A School for Southern Sudan's Young Refugees
The Lost Boys of Natinga A School for Southern Sudan's Young Refugees Author:Judy Walgren In the remote foothills of southern Sudan thousands of boys live together in a place called Natinga. They are displaced people. The bitter civil war raging in Sudan has claimed the lives of an estimated 1.5 million people and driven more than 4 million others from their homes. Among them are countless children, many of whom have no home left to ... more »return to when and if the conflict is resolved. Natinga is the temporary refuge for about 2,000 boys, ranging in age from 8 to 18, from many different tribes. The camp is protected by the Sudanese People's Liberation Army, a group who is engaged in a fierce battle with the Islamic Arab regime that took control of the Sudanese government in 1983. The rebels claim to want to educate the boys for peace and self-government. School supplies are scarce, however, as are basic necessities such as food and medicine. In addition to the war, disease and famine are constant threats. It is unclear whether these boys will ever return to what remains of their family and home again. Meanwhile, their traditional customs and way of life are fast disappearing. Judy Walgren traveled to Natinga and met the boys living there. Here she provides a vivid document of their lives, from the struggle to find sanitary drinking water to the hope of acquiring the knowledge and survival skills that will help them find a new life in their war-ravaged country.« less