My Story: By Lost Boy Daniel Lado Lual

It is with great pleasure and honor that I stand before you to tell you about my experiences as a Lost Boy of Sudan.

In 1987, when I was 9 years old my village was attacked at night by the Khartoum troops. They burned our houses and villages and everyone was running for their lives. I finally found myself following everyone else without my parents. The ongoing 36-year civil war in my country caused me to grow up without hope and dignity – even forgetting much of my rich African culture.

During the war, we were forced to cross deserts, rivers, and mountains. I and the others went without food and water for days, sleeping out in the rain with no shelter. We survived on wild fruits for food, and we drank our own urine so we would not get dehydrated. Meanwhile wild animals survived on us. With the help of almighty GOD we managed to reach Ethiopia.

In the Panyido Refugee Camp the number of young boys and girls increased daily until we were hundreds. Most of the girls married at a very young age due to the hard life in the Refugee Camp. We suffered so many difficulties. We had no proper medical attention, and there was very poor security -- especially for the younger children.

In 1991, the UNHCR workers evacuated the camp, and we were later attacked by forces of the Ethiopian government. We were forced to enter Sudan -- once again running for our lives. We had to cross the Gilo River, and many of us lost our lives either by drowning or crocodiles. I and others finally made our way to the Sudan-Kenya border where we found some hope. After several months, we were transported to the Kakuma Refugee camp.

Kakuma is a semi-desert area. It was very damp, and we had no proper shelter or medical care. Many boys & girls lost their lives there also. Because of this, some of the young boys joined the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army rather than die from hunger in a foreign land. Others of us were struggling to get an education for a better future. For your information, there is no chance for refugees to enter the University in Kenya because they have no money to pay for it.