By Christine Briel / Skaneateles Design

Tonight I attended the Sudan Soup Presentation in the Skaneateles High School Cafeteria. My daughter called me during the school day to let me know they had announced over the loudspeaker that John Bul Dau would be at the presentation. They had hoped that some of the Sudan Lost Boys and Girls (Wiki) would be able to attend.

I was so excited going in to the School. I read John Dau’s book “God grew tired of Us” over a year ago and then when the documentary came out on video I rented it so my daughter could watch it with me. She also attended the school presentation for the students in January 2008 (Rev. Lindsey said the kids were attending the presentation at the same time he was over in Sudan for the Health Clinic dedication). She spent her own money that day to purchase a Sudan T-shirt.

I purchased a stack of note cards they were selling at the presentation this evening. They are photos Rev. Craig Lindsey had shot while he was in Duk Payuel in January 2008 for the dedication of the new Duk Lost Boys Health Clinic.

This picture on the front of one of the note cards is of a baby who lives in the village of Duk Payuel, South Sudan. The back of the card states “Mothers make these waist beads to decorate and to monitor their children for malnutrition.”

Garang Amet was the first Lost Boy to speak during the presentation. He talked about helping to train the Sudanese on how to make the bricks that they needed to build the Clinic and how very thankful he was for all that is being done.

Martha Akech (John Dau’s wife) who is a Lost Girl talked about how she is finding herself becoming a little numb. She has been in the U.S. for 7 years now and she says she is starting to take life for granted here in this country. She accepted a check from the Interact club for the monies they raised selling Sudan T-shirts and bracelets for the last couple of months. The group rose close to $7,000. They actually sold out of the T-shirts the first morning they had them for sale.

Santino Atak spoke next and he stated how deeply happy he was for the help they have received. From the initial help the Lost Boys and Girls encountered coming to the U.S. to the more recent aid of building the Duk Lost Boys Health Clinic. He said he couldn’t find a better way to say thank-you than “Thank-you!”

The last Sudanese speaker of the evening was John Bul Dau. He painted a picture of the Sudanese Lost Boys & Girls in America as “mirrors” that show what “we” as people of the U.S. have done with the aid we have given. He said “You have all done a good job, the kids with the T-shirts and also the Presbyterian Church with all they have done.” He pointed out the selfless donations and big hearts of people that will never even see Sudan.

Barb Connor, who recently traveled to Sudan to visit the Medical Clinic gave some statistics to demonstrate how a small amount of money could go so very far in Sudan:

$50 – treats 100 kids with pneumonia

$48 – treats 70 women with vitamins for a 40 week pregnancy

$46 – can prevent vitamin A deficiency related blindness in 500 kids for 1 year

$32 – can treat 400 people for uncomplicated malaria

If you are interested in making a donation to help fund the Duk Lost Boys Health Clinic, you can mail a check to:

“American Care for Sudan Foundation”

97 East Genesee Street

Skaneateles, NY 13152

The American Care for Sudan Foundation also have a website.

Above is my memento of the evening. I spoke with the 4 Lost Boys and the 1 Lost Girl that attended this evening’s presentation and asked that they sign their names on the back of one of Rev. Lindsey’s note cards (John and Martha’s daughter was too young to sign her name) – I will cherish it.

Share This