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Forced to flee their families and home many young boys from Southern Sudan survived lion attacks and militia gunfire to reach a refugee camp in Kenya. From there, remarkably, they were chosen to come to Australia. Safe at last from physical danger and hunger, a world away from home, they find themselves confronted with a completely different society.
For a more detailed history visit the Alliance for the Lost Boys of Sudan website.
The Sudanese Lost Boys Association of Australia is a non-profit organisation which provides recreational and supportive programs for Sudanese young people living in Australia.
Like the Lost Boys in America, we are the Lost Boys in Australia. All of us were
separated from our families, friends, and relatives by the war, hence the name "Lost Boys". Despite the name, we do have female members within the organisation.
The majority of our members come from refugee camps, having been fortunate to escape from war-torn Sudan. Many have lived for several years in refugee camps in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Egypt. Most have lost families and friends in the civil war. Those who have recently arrived in Australia, are seeking a good education and/or livelihood to establish a new life. As we begin our new lives in Australia, we have not forgotten the history of the war that has devastated Southern Sudan and those who have been affected by it, especially those who remain in the refugee camps and those still living in Sudan.
The goal of our organisation is to bring together the Sudanese and Australian communities and promote awareness and understanding of both cultures. We also hope that by building relationships with the Australian people, we are able to establish an effective network for the Sudanese youth and to overcome some of the difficulties involved with resettling in a foreign country. In addition, our long-term goal is to establish vocational training centres in Southern Sudan to help the Sudanese youth back home develop their skills beyond their secondary school education.
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