Peter; A Lost Boy of Sudan

26 years ago, in the area of Sudan, a civil war broke out that lasted for 21 years. During this time, 20,000 young boys had their homes destroyed, and the lives of their families threatened. Under these circumstances, none of them had any other option but to flee and to escape. These 20,000 young boys, known as the "Lost Boys", without their families, ended up in a refugee camp in Kenya.

Spending 10 years of his life in the refugee camp, a lost boy named Peter was given an opportunity to travel to the United States of America to get an education, to make a living, and to aid the rest of his people who stayed back in Sudan. Many of the people, including Peter, considered this a wonderful opportunity to travel to the land that was seen as 'Heaven on Earth'. However, as Peter arrived there, he realized that there's no such thing.

After spending his whole life living the ways of the Sudanese culture, trying to fit into the the newly experienced American culture was never easy for Peter. Many of the tasks he and the rest of the Lost Boys encountered was to manage his money, get a job, get a driver's license, speak fluent English and use technology. Among these tasks, none of them were ever experienced back in Sudan. However, one thing that made Peter different from the others was his thirst and his determination to get an education and to go to school. Annoyed and tired by his fellow Lost Boys in Houston who didn't care about education, Peter traveled to Kansas City in search for education.

As he arrived in Kansas, Peter was engulfed with work and activities that included attending school, supporting his funds with a job, completing his homework as well as attempting to send back money to those in Sudan. Amongst all this, Peter was also able to join a basketball camp, and he was also able to make friends for himself. However, some of the dilemmas Peter encountered was racism and stereotypes. The fact that he was an African American caused many people to assume that he would attack them or steal from them. His High School teacher had instantly thought that he would attend a Community College and would not need to take College Entrance Exams. Peter faced these problems alone, but that did not stop him from being determined. He came to the United States confident and determined to do well. He was dedicated to his work and to the activities he attended, and he was passionate in everything he did.

These traits of his had allowed him to exceed and to solve many of the tasks he was given as he arrived in Houston. He was able to join a standard college, he was able to learn English, he was able to complete his homework and he achieved his goal of succeeding in education. He was able to fit into the American culture and also remained believing in his Dinka culture back home. His determination allowed him to achieve all goals, no matter how difficult they seemed to be.