First event in Nevada Speaker Series draws crowd
Civil war, 90 days of walking, friends and family dying and trying to survive in America are all things that lost boy Daniel Ayuen has faced in his life. To tell his story and prevent his people from experiencing the same challenges that he did Ayuen speaks about donating money to his country and waking up to the reality of civil war.
Daniel Ayuen, one of the lost boys of Sudan who was present when the civil war broke out, speaks during an event in the Joe Crowley Student Union Wednesday night. The event encouraged people to donate money to help families struggling in Africa. Photo by Daniel Clark/Nevada Sagebrush
“All the time, I just hope that God helps to pass me through these difficult times,” Ayuen said.
The University of Nevada, Reno and the Northern Nevada International Center put on a Night of Sudan at the Joe Crowley Student Union Sept. 10. About 150 people attended the event, which was the first of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada’s Nevada Speaker Series. The event also included a traveling exhibit, a documentary and a question-and-answer session with Ayuen.
“I think by learning a very personal story students will be able to gain a better understanding of civil war,” Carina Black, Executive Director of Northern Nevada International Center, said.
Showing up at 6 p.m., attendees made their way to the back of the ballroom and viewed the Smithsonian traveling exhibit, “Sudan: the Land and the People.” The exhibit’s photos, all by Michael Freeman, portrayed life in Africa; showing cotton farming, schooling and the barren land.
Viewers took their seats and watched the documentary “Lost Boys of Sudan” around 7p.m. The documentary follows a group of lost boys from their homes in Africa to life in America and shows the struggles that they had to go through in getting jobs, going to school and getting a drivers license.
“It was a very sad story,” Sarah Bonney, an international affairs major, said. “We take so many things for granted, especially our families.”
The documentary shows how the lost boys worked to send money back home or get an education that could be used to benefit their people, but often struggled in paying their bills.
“I thought [the lost boys] might get more help,” Sierra Kelly, TMCC anthropology major, said. “They came over and were just sort of dropped off.”
Ayuen has an associate’s degree in economics and says that this degree is important because economics is the backbone of all growth. He said he hopes to use his knowledge to help get his country essentials of life, such as, schooling, new buildings and a higher standard of living.
“If I benefit, my people will benefit too,” Ayuen said.
After the documentary, students were able to ask Ayuen questions about his experiences. Ayuen stressed the importance of donating money to the Lost Boy Foundation, which can be accessed at lostboys.com. The lost boys will take the money from the foundation and use it in funding the building of schools and for other essential needs in Sudan, Ayuen said.
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on Friday, September 12th, 2008 at 2:29 pm and is filed under ASUN, News, Student Life.
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