Rep. Tim Krieger (R-Delmont) honored four members of the Lost Boys of Rebuilding Southern Sudan for their tireless courage and pioneering efforts in raising awareness and working toward ending 21st century slavery in their homeland of Sudan and around the world by sponsoring House Resolution 546.  Krieger’s resolution was unanimously adopted by the state House on Tuesday, Jan. 26.  Named by international aid workers after the fictional characters of “Peter Pan,” the Lost Boys were forced to flee their homes as children after witnessing the murder of their parents, the destruction of their villages and/or the capture and sale of their families into slavery during the Second Sudanese Civil War between 1983 and 2005.

Rep. Tim Krieger (R-Delmont) honored the Lost Boys of Rebuilding Southern Sudan for their tireless courage and pioneering efforts to raise awareness and end 21st century slavery around the world by sponsoring House Resolution 546.  Krieger’s resolution unanimously passed the state House on Tuesday.

 

“Today, I have the privilege of recognizing an extraordinary group of individuals, collectively known as the Lost Boys of Sudan, who can truly attest that freedom is never free,” said Krieger.  “Each of these courageous men risked their lives, time and time again, to earn their freedom.”

 

The following Lost Boys of Rebuilding Southern Sudan members were in attendance on the House floor, as Krieger’s guests, to witness the official vote on House Resolution 546:  Samuel Anei; William Mou; James Mum; and Abraham Nhial.  

 

Named by international aid workers after the fictional characters of “Peter Pan,” the Lost Boys were forced to flee their homes as children after witnessing the murder of their parents, the destruction of their villages and/or the capture and sale of their families into slavery during the Second Sudanese Civil War between 1983 and 2005.

 

Orphaned with no support, many as young as five years of age, the Lost Boys were forced to walk thousands of miles to reach refugee camps in Ethopia and Kenya, before obtaining refugee status in the United States in 2000.   Sadly, only 10,000 of the estimated original 30,000 Lost Boys survived their death-defying pilgrimage to freedom.   The remainder were either killed by hostile armed forces, perished from starvation, drowned or lost their lives due to wild animal attacks.  

 

“Despite knowing little English, having never flown on an airplane or having never even flipped a light switch, the Lost Boys of Sudan are now thriving in their new nation, excelling as doctors, lawyers, university graduates, teachers, and in many other walks of life,” said Krieger during his concluding remarks on the House floor.  “To honor the Lost Boys of Sudan, to remember the many who died along the way, and to add our voices to theirs in a call to end the tyranny of human slavery around the world, I respectfully ask for unanimous passage of House Resolution 546.”

 

Featured on 60 Minutes, Good Morning America and in several award-winning books and films, today the nearly 4,000 members of the Lost Boys that have successfully integrated in the United States are continuing their fight against the international slave trade by establishing the non-profit group known as the Lost Boys Rebuilding Southern Sudan.     

 

Editor’s Note: Please see the attached copy of House Resolution 546.

 

Rep. Tim Krieger
57th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives

(724) 834-6400

RepKrieger.com

Contact:  Ty McCauslin

(717) 772-9979