"Lost Boy of Sudan" John Dau Shares Story of Survival
Middle and Upper School classes were fortunate to hear from a very special guest today, Mr. John Dau, who as a boy of 13 fled his village in Southern Sudan to seek refuge from militants who had been instructed to take the lives of all men in that region. His powerful story of perseverance moved all who heard it, and his remarkable attitude of forgiveness was inspirational.
Mr. Dau and thousands of others, many of whom did not survive, walked barefoot across African plains, enduring starvation, thirst, disease and both wild animal and human attackers. They ended up in Ethiopia and later at a UN camp in Kenya where Mr. Dau was selected to travel to America thanks to a sponsoring church group and immigration program initiated by the Clinton administration.
In his talks today, Mr. Dau described preconceived notions he and others held about life in the United States as well as the reality of adjusting to civilization -- grocery stores were particularly shocking in their abundance and variety of foods. Arriving in Syracuse, NY just 10 years ago, Mr. Dau began his education at age 17 and earned a degree at Syracuse University. He has started several non-profits to benefit his homeland including the most recent one, the John Dau Foundation. Its mission is to provide healthcare to Mr. Dau's childhood village and Duk Country area. They have built a medical clinic which suffered terrible damage a year ago when war broke out again. Even so, Mr. Dau and his colleagues have offered forgiveness to the perpetrators and encouraged them to seek help at the clinic.
Two important messages were emphasized by Mr. Dau: never, ever give up because struggle, however painful, leads to success, and forgiveness can lead to peace among opposing forces.
Many thanks to Mike Henry, Collegiate class of '84 and parent of 5th Grader Jack Henry, for bringing Mr. Dau to Collegiate. He first met him in 2006 when he attended a screening of the movie "God Grew Tired of Us," about the experience of the Lost Boys. Mr. Henry's brother Patrick, Collegiate class of '90, was a producer on the film.
Said Mr. Henry, "What struck me about him was his incredibly positive and optimistic world view. After living through unthinkable peril, his spirit shines as brightly as I’ve ever seen in a person. ... A few months ago, I was happily surprised when my son Jack brought home a book about South Sudan that is part of his 5th Grade reading curriculum at Collegiate. A Long Walk to Water tells the story of two Sudanese children and their opposing tribes which ultimately work together to achieve a greater, common good. I was thrilled that the Collegiate kids were being exposed to a part of the world so far away from the West End of Richmond. and I contacted the school to see about John Dau coming to town to share his story and reinforce the positive message of coexistence and peace."
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In his talks today, Mr. Dau described preconceived notions he and others held about life in the United States as well as the reality of adjusting to civilization -- grocery stores were particularly shocking in their abundance and variety of foods. Arriving in Syracuse, NY just 10 years ago, Mr. Dau began his education at age 17 and earned a degree at Syracuse University. He has started several non-profits to benefit his homeland including the most recent one, the John Dau Foundation. Its mission is to provide healthcare to Mr. Dau's childhood village and Duk Country area. They have built a medical clinic which suffered terrible damage a year ago when war broke out again. Even so, Mr. Dau and his colleagues have offered forgiveness to the perpetrators and encouraged them to seek help at the clinic.
Two important messages were emphasized by Mr. Dau: never, ever give up because struggle, however painful, leads to success, and forgiveness can lead to peace among opposing forces.
Many thanks to Mike Henry, Collegiate class of '84 and parent of 5th Grader Jack Henry, for bringing Mr. Dau to Collegiate. He first met him in 2006 when he attended a screening of the movie "God Grew Tired of Us," about the experience of the Lost Boys. Mr. Henry's brother Patrick, Collegiate class of '90, was a producer on the film.
Said Mr. Henry, "What struck me about him was his incredibly positive and optimistic world view. After living through unthinkable peril, his spirit shines as brightly as I’ve ever seen in a person. ... A few months ago, I was happily surprised when my son Jack brought home a book about South Sudan that is part of his 5th Grade reading curriculum at Collegiate. A Long Walk to Water tells the story of two Sudanese children and their opposing tribes which ultimately work together to achieve a greater, common good. I was thrilled that the Collegiate kids were being exposed to a part of the world so far away from the West End of Richmond. and I contacted the school to see about John Dau coming to town to share his story and reinforce the positive message of coexistence and peace."
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