Salva Dut, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, is making a difference!
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Parks, is a NY Times Bestseller detailing the harrowing walk of an 11 year old boy Salva Dut from his hometown in South Sudan to refuge in Ethiopia. Salva was just a child sitting in a classroom dreaming about lunchtime when his life fell apart. As one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Salva walked hundreds of miles to safety encountering untold horrors and losses along the way. Salva somehow managed to find the hero inside himself and after coming to America and finishing college, he decided to give back to his people by building wells. Water for South Sudan was born and today Salva has dedicated his life to ensuring that as many Africans as possible have clean running water. With Coronavirus in our midst nothing could be more important in maintaining health and safety than a freshwater supply. Salva! It was an honor to have you as our guest. Listen to this podcast it inspire you to find the hero inside all of us!
Show Notes
[02:16] Coronavirus situation in South Sudan
- South Sudan is a vulnerable community with poor healthcare conditions.
- It’s very challenging to educate illiterate communities
- They partnered with UNICEF to educate communities about Coronavirus and handwashing
[07:00] Salva’s experience as one of the Lost Boys Of Sudan
- Salva grew up in a simple life. He never had a house with running water, but he was happy
- He lost his uncle and his friend on the way to a refugee camp.
- 17,000 boys stayed in the refugee camp for 6 years.
- Another civil war happened and they were forced to move to another refugee camp which took months.
- He lost 500 boys in his group due to hunger, disease, abandonment, etc.
[15:50] The process to get sponsored by the United States
- The U.N. workers will randomly pick people who will be sponsored.
- When you get lucky, you will be taken to an orientation to understand American culture
- He learned English in the refugee camp and an Irish man taught him to read and write.
- When he went to U.S. he made sure that he’ll fit into the culture so he took ESL and went into a community college.
[20:20] Salva’s moment meeting his father
- His father didn’t recognized him completely.
- Salva stayed with him for almost a month and it sparked his interest to start his non-profit organization called Water For South Sudan
Learn more about Salva’s Non-Profit Organization here
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About The Author
Atara Twersky, Author of Curlee Girlee is a TODAY Show Style Icon. Her mission is to teach girls to embrace the beautiful curls they have with power and confidence. Join us as together we change the “coarse” of curly hair. Don’t forget to read our recent article featuring charities that Curlee Girlee loves!
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