Posted by Webmaster, 5/27/10 at 8:06:01 AM.
By Geoffrey Linderman
Social Action Corps hosted Sudanese refugee Gabriel Bol Deng last week on Thursday, May 20. Bol Deng is one of about 4000 "Lost Boys of Sudan," a group of Sudanese orphans who have been brought into the United States. He is seeking funds for a school in his native Sudan and working to raise awareness of the difficulties in the country. Bol Deng delivered a message about the power of hope and perseverance.
"If you have hope, you can move mountains."
Gabriel Bol Deng's dream is to establish a school in his native Sudan. His Hope for Ariang project has succeeded in constructing four classrooms and a clean-water well; he is now working on an office, and raising donations for a roof. Bol Deng believes that education is absolutely essential, especially for girls in countries such as his. He credits education as being a key component of his success, and hopes that RFA's students will use their high school education to move their own mountains. The philosophy of the Lost Boys is "Education is my mother and my father."
Bol Deng was orphaned at the age of ten, when Northern militia attacked and destroyed his village, killing many people. He recalls that one day, while tending his family≠s cattle, he heard gunshots and saw four militiamen approaching. He hid, and then escaped from his burning village; he was picked up by a band of other refugees after a few days, and the group travelled across desert for 8 weeks, and then crossed the Nile river to reach Dimma, a refugee camp in Ethiopia. Many of Bol Deng's companions died on this journey, either by dehydration and exhaustion, or crocodile attacks; at one point, a close friend of his took a nap, but when Bol Deng tried to awaken him, he found him dead in his sleep. He finally reached Dimma, and stayed there until relocating to Kenya in 1991; in 2001 Bol Deng was able to travel to America. He attended Onondaga College and became particularly interested in Shakespeare.
"To do something or wish to do something; the choice is absolutely up to you!"
Hope is an essential part of Bol Deng's life. It motivates and inspires him, and helped him to stay alive despite the challenges he faced. He believes that optimism can be of great value; his formula is "positive attitudes + hard work = success!" He places faith in people to work hard and rise to the challenges ahead, and feels that anyone, but especially younger people, can make a difference. His message was one of hope and encouragement; junior Jessica Augello said one of the lessons in his story was that "life is a gift, and its up to you to make the best of it."
The Lost Boys of Sudan, though no longer "boys," were orphaned or displaced during Sudan's civil war, which lasted until the United States brokered a peace between the North and South in 2005. Approximately 4000 Lost Boys, although this figure also includes a small number of girls, have been brought to the United States; the largest population of Lost Boys resides in Syracuse.
Gabriel Bol Deng's project, Hope for Ariang, is still receiving donations. For those interested in learning more about the project, information can be found at www.HopeForAriang.org.
The organization can also be reached at Hope for Ariang Foundation, inc. P.O. Box 6887, Syracuse NY, 13217, (315)-445-4292. Those interested can also help by educating others about Sudan≠s problems. Bol Deng emphasized, however, that it was not just Sudan that needed help; to truly help, it is not necessary to go to Sudan when a next-door neighbor may need help as well.
"Find an opportunity."
