Selected 'Lost Boys' to reunite with families
Chelsea Plushanki
Issue date: 5/22/09 Section: News
After 22 years, James Deng and Mary Ayom, winners of the Drexel Writing Program essay contest, will be reunited with their families in Southern Sudan.
Deng and Ayom were child refugees from Sudan who were separated from their families during the second Sudanese Civil War. They will be reunited with their families due to the efforts of the Lost Boys of Sudan Reunion Project Read-a-Thon, hosted by the Drexel University Writing Program.
Josh Millan, a student at Harriton High School, started the Lost Boys of Sudan Reunion Project, according to Shelia Watts, Drexel Writing Program coordinator of writing. Last year, Millan raised enough money to reunite Michael Kuch, another lost boy of Sudan, with his family in Australia.
Inspired by Millan's efforts and One Philadelphia's 2008 selection, Dave Eggars' book "What is the What," the writing program decided to host a read-a-thon to raise money for the airfare to reunite the essay winners with their families, Watts said.
"We just wanted to make the project bigger and get Drexel involved," Watts said. "Also [we wanted to] promote literacy which is why we came up with the idea of a read-a-thon. Students read books from a pre-approved book list of 100 books on or related to Sudan or other genocides, and they raised funds based on the number of books they read."
Harriet Millan, director of the University Writing program, said Drexel students raised $10,000 through the read-a-thon and the Center for Civic Engagements' Jam Against Genocide. This money, along with the funds raised by Harriton High School and other fundraisers, will be used to sponsor Ayom's and Deng's reunion trips to Southern Sudan.
The winners of the essay contest were announced May 19 at the Lost Boys of Sudan Reunion Project celebration. Ayom and Deng read their essays, which describe their experiences in and out of refugee camps, and in the United States after being granted refugee status.
"The last time I was in Southern Sudan was in 1987, I was four years old," Deng said. "I probably won't be able to recognize [my family]."
Donna Murasko, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, spoke at the event about her own relation to the troubles of the lost boys and girls as a mother. She said Drexel could reach out to the community through reading and understanding.
Deng and Ayom were child refugees from Sudan who were separated from their families during the second Sudanese Civil War. They will be reunited with their families due to the efforts of the Lost Boys of Sudan Reunion Project Read-a-Thon, hosted by the Drexel University Writing Program.
Josh Millan, a student at Harriton High School, started the Lost Boys of Sudan Reunion Project, according to Shelia Watts, Drexel Writing Program coordinator of writing. Last year, Millan raised enough money to reunite Michael Kuch, another lost boy of Sudan, with his family in Australia.
Inspired by Millan's efforts and One Philadelphia's 2008 selection, Dave Eggars' book "What is the What," the writing program decided to host a read-a-thon to raise money for the airfare to reunite the essay winners with their families, Watts said.
"We just wanted to make the project bigger and get Drexel involved," Watts said. "Also [we wanted to] promote literacy which is why we came up with the idea of a read-a-thon. Students read books from a pre-approved book list of 100 books on or related to Sudan or other genocides, and they raised funds based on the number of books they read."
Harriet Millan, director of the University Writing program, said Drexel students raised $10,000 through the read-a-thon and the Center for Civic Engagements' Jam Against Genocide. This money, along with the funds raised by Harriton High School and other fundraisers, will be used to sponsor Ayom's and Deng's reunion trips to Southern Sudan.
The winners of the essay contest were announced May 19 at the Lost Boys of Sudan Reunion Project celebration. Ayom and Deng read their essays, which describe their experiences in and out of refugee camps, and in the United States after being granted refugee status.
"The last time I was in Southern Sudan was in 1987, I was four years old," Deng said. "I probably won't be able to recognize [my family]."
Donna Murasko, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, spoke at the event about her own relation to the troubles of the lost boys and girls as a mother. She said Drexel could reach out to the community through reading and understanding.
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