'Lost Boy' Speaks to Hop Brook Students About Escaping Conflict in Sudan

When he was 10 years old, Gabriel Bol Deng escaped his native Sudan to come to the United States.

His village was burned, his parents were killed and he trudged through adversity - walking across the Sahara and swimming across the Nile - to get to safety. Bol Deng shared pieces of his story with the students at Hop Brook Elementary School on Wednesday, tempering specific elements to fit the audience.

Bol Deng, now a resident of Syracuse, N.Y., came to the United States in 2000 as one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan." He taught in school for a period of time before going on the road full time to promote his organiztion, Hope for Ariang. The organization's focus is providing education for Sudanese children, both boys and girls. Donations to the cause go directly to construction efforts for these schools in Sudan.

Bol Deng said he first met Ryan Hendrickson when Hendrickson taught social studies in Trumbull. Now the principal of Hop Brook, Hendrickson welcomed Bol Deng to the school to speak about his life and to bring an inspirational message to the youths of hope and perserverance.