What is the What is the biographical tale of a Sudanese Lost Boy (Valentino Achak Deng) and his journey across the deserts of Africa to the relative safety and security of refugee camps. He stayed there until he was, fortunately at the time, sent to the United States although his subsequent experiences in the US were not always as positive as one could hope. Eggers was joined on stage by Valentino’s life-long friend and fellow Lost Boy, a gentlemen (whose name I was unfortunately unable to grasp and, to this point, was unable to find in any of the handout material - I want to say Abraham), we’ll call him Abraham, shared with us some of his personal tales.

An Incomprehensible Truth

Abraham’s discussion centered on a five major themes that are common to all men and women: perseverance, family, growth, knowledge building and community. All five are at the epicenter of what these young men have experienced since they were seven years old. And what they still experience. Their lives have been one of struggle; a cyclone of drive and determination to, not only survive or maintain, but to thrive and grow both individually and as a nation. To say that these men, at the time young boys, lived a life outside of western comprehension is an understatement. But there is no other way (short of directing you to read the book) that I can explain just how amazing this story is; even in reading, it really is beyond understanding at times.

1. Perseverance: First and foremost, you can’t help but be overwhelmed with the tale of their actual walk across the desert in the direct face of danger each day and night. Running from militia is an experiences no man, woman or especially child should have to endure. Lying awake at night and listening to the cries of a friend as he is dragged into the brush and eaten alive by a wild animal is a real life nightmare. I struggle to even fathom it.

2. Family: Sadly, when many of these Lost Boys returned to their native villages to reunite with their families, to faces they were lucky to remember and in many cases didn’t, an experience that should have been joyous only brought about more internal pain as they faced an even harsher reality. The lives that their families have had to endure in staying in their village were unquestionably more distressing then their own.

3. Growth: Imagine living a life that included walking thousands of miles across a desert in fear of man and nature at every turn and upon reaching your destination you are held in refugee camps. By the grace of God, the Lost Boys made their way to America and started to believe, if not embrace, the notion that the reality of life in Africa, in the Sudan, was one of hell on earth; an experience you wouldn’t wish on your sworn enemy. Their mission became one of spreading their story and the stories of others like them to as many as would listen. But after preaching Africa as hell-on-earth, what happens when you go back home? In their native land they are regarded as “the lucky ones.” Their lives, tales of suffering and hardship, were eclipsed by the resilience and endurance of their families. A family you haven’t seen and struggle to recognize. The guilt and feeling of abandonment these men are now burdened with, on top of their own minds nightmares of cold, lonely, dangerous desert nights is a burden befit of no man.

4. Knowledge Building: Yet in the face of all this, many have persevered; many have thrived, earning college degrees; and some are now making it their mission to help rebuild their native home. Institutional creations such as business, government, agriculture and medicine are all being slowly formed in the region. But first and most importantly schools. With out knowledgeable people there will be no one to administer the medicine, to run the businesses, to farm the land and govern the people. Affirmative action policies have been put into place to ensure that women are being given the same educational opportunities as the boys and, in turn, the same avenues into said institutions.

5. Community: Although many Lost Boys yearned for the day they had the opportunity to tell the world their story, Abraham and many others now believe step one for all those returning home is “listening”. They must listen to the stories of all those who stayed behind. Listening to the needs and concerns of the villages they once called home, villages they barely recognize. Listening to the spirit of life that lead them first to safety, then towards an education and now back to those they love. Most important of all, in the back of their mind, listening to the struggles and cries they had to endure to get where they are today.

In the end I’ll leave you with something Abraham expressed throughout his story, an ideal that resonated in biblical times and still resonates today. Succeeding is not about receiving free handouts or having paths carved for you. It is about giving individuals the tools they need to make their own path, to carve their own life from their time here on earth. Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.