Help Outreach Africa: Lost Boys Foundation

Outreach Africa: Lost Boys Foundation

Norfolk, Virginia

Cause Description:
Seeking sponsors to help young relatives, mainly orphans, of Sudanese Lost Boys receive food, clothing, and education. Prior to the travesties in Darfur, Sudan suffered from civil war more than twenty years. These attacks forced children, ages 3 to 7, to flee as a group through the deserts on thousand mile treks. Most lost their parents and siblings, having seen them perish or killed before their eyes. They survived war, thirst, starvation, and personal loss. After being juggled between refugee camps, where most spent the majority of their lives, in 2001 approximately 4,000 of these children, known as the Sudanese Lost Boys and Girls, arrived in the United States as refugees. Now in their twenties, the Lost Boys and Girls living in America embody the hope for their country’s future. Most are attending college while working several jobs. Through their education, they hope to gain the knowledge and means to rebuild their country and save the lives of their loved ones in Africa. Most of these relatives are young and orphaned and have no adult to protect them. They are at extreme risk of starvation and dehydration, they have little education, and they are vulnerable to being kidnapped by rebel armies trying to fill their ranks. Sponsors are needed to help local Lost Boys in providing support to their young relatives in Africa by sending them to boarding school, as it is the only real hope for their safety and survival. The cost per child is $250 per semester, with 3 semesters per year. For less than $65 a month, the child receives safe surroundings, an education, a meal a day, a uniform, bedding, a footlocker and books, and most importantly, hope for a decent future. Sponsoring one or two children is within the means of most individuals. Many of the sponsors are not individuals, but rather school classes, churches, civic groups, and businesses. The Lost Boys spend much of their hard-earned income supporting their loved ones in Africa. Having help supporting these relatives will allow the Lost Boys to focus their energies and finances on completing their own education. Their roles as the future leaders in Sudan will help bring their homeland peace, stability, and a better life for their people.

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