History

Who are the “Lost Boys of Sudan”?

The Lost Boys of Sudan refers to the nearly 30,000 boys who were displaced during the Sudanese Civil War that began in 1983 (over 2 million killed). It was mostly boys that were displaced as many were able to escape to the bush when their villages were attacked. The adults of the villages were typically killed, while the young girls were kidnapped, raped or killed. The young boys made long, dangerous treks to find safety at relief camps in Kenya and Ethiopia. In 2001, about 3,800 Lost Boys were selected for resettlement in the United States. In 2005, a peace treaty was signed ending the 20 year civil war, and many Lost Boys returned home for the first time. Those returning have found their villages practically devoid of infrastructure, services, or health care.

Who is Deng?

Deng Jongkuch was born in South Sudan in the rural village of Gwalla in Bor County. In 1987, when he was only five years old, he was separated from his family during a civil war between government troops and Southern rebels. He escaped to Ethiopia only to experience war again within 4 years. In 1991, he escaped from Ethiopia and spent a year walking across the hot desert to a refugee camp in Kenya. In the Kenya refugee camp he was cared for and was educated through high school. In 2001, he was selected along with 3,800 other “Lost Boys of Sudan” to go to the United States. Deng completed his education in 2011 with a bachelors degree from San Jose State University and a masters degree in Public Health from Touro University. Deng first returned to his village in the summer of 2005 when the civil war ended and was reunited with his mother and father after 18 years. Deng was dismayed to find his village in poor condition with no roads, clean water or school. He is passionately committed to helping re-build his village and others, and he co-founded ImpactAVillage, a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to improve education and healthcare in rural villages around the world. Deng is currently working in South Sudan managing a health clinic, and he monitors activities at the school in Malek, South Sudan that was built with funds from ImpactAVillage. Deng is married to a Sudanese woman and has 3 children.

Purchase Deng's Book - "A Story of Hope"

"A Story of Hope - the Journey of a Lost Boy of Sudan"
by Deng Ajak Jongkuch and Lisa Frankel Wade

BUY BOOK NOW

Deng Ajak Jongkuch authored "A Story of Hope" a poignant book about his harrowing journey as one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. This beautifully illustrated book is an amazing story of courage. Deng transcended great hardships as a Lost Boy of Sudan and offers the message of hope, the importance of being educated, and giving back to the community. This book is written for ages 3rd grade and up and all proceeds go to ImpactAVillage, Inc. to help improve education in rural villages of South Sudan. If you are an educator who wishes to purchase books for your classroom at an educational discount, please contact Lisa Wade, President of Impact a Village lisafwade@gmail.com .

Make a Donation to ImpactAVillage

Every dollar makes an impact! We can make a difference for a village in need -- one dollar, one brick, one project, one village at a time. A high percentage of your donation goes directly to projects, and projects are approved and funded on an individual basis. Past projects included purchasing and installing a grain grinding machine in Gwalla, South Sudan View Photos of Grinding Machine Project. The latest project was the building of a school in the village of Malek, South Sudan which was completed in the summer of 2009. View Photos of Malek School Project.. Current projects include the building of a healing center in the Amazon region of Peru and supporting the Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand. Get Involved!

Why Give to ImpactAVillage?

Your donation will make a difference and help fund projects that improve quality of life and education in various villages around the world. In selecting projects for funding, our goal is to empower and work with communities to preserve local knowledge and indiginous cultures. We are committed to keeping projects small and manageable to assure they are completed on-time and within budget. Where appropriate, ImpactAVillage combines resources to eliminate duplication of efforts. We are committed to changing the world -- one dollar, one brick, one village at a time.