The Twenty years away from home: An Introduction to my life stories
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My name is David Athoi. I am Sudanese by birth, and by nationality. I am about 27 years old. I left Sudan in 1987, when I was about six years old. I came to Phoenix through Catholic Social Service of Phoenix, in 2000. I am among the group of young boys and girls known as the lost boys and the lost girls of Sudan. I left Sudan as a result of war which broke out in 1983. I am from a small town in Western Upper Nile Region, in Southern Sudan. The name of my town is Panriang, and the people who live in Panrieng are known as Dinka Ngok Panaruu.

When I left Sudan, I didn’t leave like I know, I was coming to USA, and I didn’t know I was going to end-up in Ethiopia, or end-up in Kenya. I left the village like, I was escaping for the day, and hoping coming back in the evening when the situation is calm, but because the situation was changing for worse, we kept working until we ended up in the Ethiopian border, where we were welcomed by the Ethiopian government into an established refugees camp called Itang and Pinyudo, and that was in 1987.
In 1990, war broke out again in Ethiopia, and that was four years later, and as a result the Magistu’s government was overthrown, and the new government doesn’t want the Sudanese refugees in their territory. In that case we the refugees, do not have choice to stay, and since the war was still going on in Sudan, all the refugees in all the established camps such Pinyudo, Itang, Dimmo, were confused. Therefore, some refugees didn’t want to leave the camp because of fear of going back to Sudan. In a few day, after the warning from the new government, the troops was order to force out all the refugees in all the camps, and in that case we were force into Gilo River, were thousand of people died. Among the dead, some drawn because they do not know how to swim, some drawn while trying to help those who couldn‘t swim, some were shot, some were caught or eaten by crocodile, some died of hunger, and some died of thirst. Luckily enough, that time I knew how to swim, so I was able to cross to the other side of Gilo River. However, we ended up in Pacalla, a small town in the border of Ethiopia and Sudan.
In Pacalla, we spent three good months with no food, nothing to eat, but the natural vegetation. After 3 months, we were rescued by United Nation, by airlifting the food since there was no proper airstrips for the big planes to land, but the insecurity was increasing so bad, that we were advised to evacuate Pacalla, otherwise we’ll be force to go back to North Sudan. At that point, we couldn’t go back directly to Sudan so we have to move along the Sudan-Ethiopia border, where we end-up in Kakuma Refugees Camp in Kenya, and That was in 1992, where most of the lostboys end-up spending upto 8 years in the camp.
In 1992, the government was capturing the SPLA/M’s controlled areas, some commanders from the SPL:A/M were defecting from the movement, and the movement was about to collapse, therefore; many boys including I myself, decided to leave the camp and go back to Sudan, join the military training to support the movement because we the lost boys, believed that if we don’t have a country, then there is no need of going to school. After the training, we were graduated and our class was named as Ingas(meaning dew), then we were deployed in the Equatoria region.
In 1995, we were ordered to attack Kapoeta town were I lost a lot my colleagues, and where I end-up in a severe concussion due to a huge explosion that killed about six of my colleagues, injured several people, and of which one person become a total deaf, and I myself became partial deaf, and that was between 1995 to 1996. The concussion I had, was severe to the point that I couldn’t hear for almost a year, and that was my worse experience I ever experienced. My friend Akech become a total deaf due to the same explosion. Thank God on November 28th, 1996, my hearing automatically came back and it was a surprised to everyone who knew that I was deaf, and from that time, my life had tremendously changed from worse to better.
When I was a deaf, I became the worst person on earth. I easily get irritated or annoyed when someone didn’t clearly explain the statement. I always wanted to fight anyone, who seem ignorance to me. After I got my hearing comeback, I was advised by the doctor that I shouldn’t be around any heavy sound of any kind, and as a result my nurses, give me a second chance in life by encouraging me to go to the refugees camp in Kenya so that I can go to school. I didn’t want to go to the camp because I wanted to serve in the army, but the doctor and nurses continued to encourage me by saying that I should go to the camp and see what some of my age mate were doing.
In 1998, the Lostboys process of coming to USA began, and luckily enough all the minors(known as underage) in the camp, were given the first chance of coming to USA. Since I was a 17 years old, that gave me a chance of coming to USA and stayed with foster family while going high school. So I came to USA in 2000, I went to Pinnacle High School, were I graduated in 2003. At Pinnacle, I did track & field, and cross country. I was one of the Pinnacle’s 4x4 best runner, and graduated with track and field’s MVP award.
After my high school, I went to Paradise Valley Community College for one year, took some general including communication, computer information system, math, English, keyboarding, and more.
For job reason I decided to go to Apollo College, were I graduated as a medical assistant in 2005, and which allowed me to work for United Blood System as hospital technician, and presently working as a medical assistant with Endocrinology, Diabetes, & longevity center of Arizona.
Before high school and the two year of colleges, I was working at Fry’s food and Drugs Store. I started working as a lot attendant, and then to a bagger, and afterward, I decided to work in the Deli which was my interesting job because I see new faces everyday, and at the same time I was learning so much a bout the American foods. Example, I learning all kinds of meats, cheese, salads, learning how to cook chickens, learning how to place a parties orders, and the same time improving my people’s skill and my communication, and the abilities to handle customers in a professional ways.
While I was still going to school to become MA, one of the Fry’s Store’s customers, Mr. Bill Winterstein encouraged me to applied with United Blood Service, which I of course did and got a job as a carrier. I delivered blood to the hospitals, write-up products or ship product to hospitals, and doing all kind of things. My job title was hospital service tech I, and later become a tech II.

My Vision
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My mom use to tells me, you don’t really have to do anything special to me, in order to please me, but do something good to please your community, and don’t do anything bad to surprise the me or the community. If you do that simple steps, you truly obeyed me and your father because we wanted you to be out there for your people, and that’s why the donkey says” ke ci dhieth xen ke lony weerbei“( meaning: what you gave birth to, is the one that can remove the burden on your neck), she said.
My goal have always been to give back to this community and my country of origin for the numerous reason. 1st I always feel like this nation have done so much, not only to me myself but to the entire Sudanese Communities in USA and back home. Example; I always asks myself, what was my foster family’s intention of wanting to leave with me while they already had their 4 kids, but after I leaved with them for two and half years, I found out that they were just a caring family, they just wanted to care for me just because I am a human and deserved a second chance in life. In this case I always felt guilty because I felt like I owed them so much that I could not afford to pay them back with any price, and rather would love to be a contributor or input to this country(USA).
I feel like I should always share with the young generation of this community because I did learn so much from them and I know they can learn from my stories, because sometimes, kids here seem to be inappreciative, not only for what their own parents have done for them but also for what this nation have done for them. The past generation of this community I believed that they have done so well, and the present generation is taking it for granted .
In 2006, I decided to volunteer as a summer interns for Neighborhood Ministries of Phoenix AZ. I was working with kids from different backgrounds and that gave me a true heart and love of Jesus for humanity.

2nd when I first came to this country, everything that I can see was surprising to me because I never seen them before. Example, by just looking at everything around me, I just figured that it was a result of what the past generation have done. When I was in Kenya, I thought the word computer and the word brainwash , were the same meaning. I thought that in America, people don’t have to go to school like any other countries because I thought computer was a machine that washes people’s brain and make people fully educated within a matter of day or two. I didn’t know people have to learn computer, rather I thought computer make people learn. Before I came to USA, I thought I was going to come and ask computer, if he can make me a doctor, after I came here, it was totally a difference scenarios, I found out that people here in USA have to go to school like I was doing in Kenya. I never knew I was going to face a blackboard in USA, rather I thought the computer will automatically make me educated. Anyway, that sound really stupid, but that is a reality. Up to now in my homeland, 98% of people still have the same concept that I use to have, and that’s why I wanted to make different wherever I am. In Panrieng, I wanted to help with one of the following options: the clean water, hospitals or clinic supplies, disease prevention such as malaria prevention, tuberculosis, kalazaa or typhoid, eyes diseases, post trauma, & child education….etc.

Currently, I am working full time with EDLC of AZ, and at the same volunteering for the Azlostboys Center as Azlostboys center’s speaker representative. I go to elementary schools, high schools, colleges and universities just to share my personal stories and experiences about living in all these hardships, why? Because I care, and wanted to make different!!!