Displaced during the Sudanese civil war of the 1980s, one of Sudan’s “Lost Boys” recounted his experience as a refugee to a University of Wisconsin crowd Monday.

The UW’s Amnesty International hosted the lecture, titled “Sudanese Lost Boys and Girls,“ by Peter Magai, a native of Dinka, Sudan, and a “Lost Boy.”

The lecture generally outlined Sudanese children’s struggles in the 1980s during the north-south war, and their resurgence as adults in an attempt to bring education, overall change and attention to the problems in Sudan, Magai said.

“We promised that no matter where we were, we would tell our story,” Magai said.

One of the experiences Magai recounted was the journey many of the Sudanese children undertook as a result of their villages being attacked by rebel groups.

According to Magai, many people, including himself and his mother, ran away during the years of 1987 and 1988 and walked for three months en route to Ethiopia.

Magai said his group walked over 1,000 miles to Pinyudo, Ethiopia, to escape from rebel resistance, adding it was often better to walk at night to stay hidden from rebel groups.

“This was (also) an advantage for children who decided that the journey wasn’t worth it,” Magai added. “Once they decided this was not what they wanted, they would just lay down in the grass and no one would notice them.”

This would not be the only journey the Sudanese children would make. They were constantly on the move due to civil wars and government transitions in other countries they tried to escape to, Magai said.

“We have it so easy in America that it’s unbelievable, and it’s hard to put it into perspective, but [Magai] definitely did,” UW freshman Adelyn Allchin said.

Magai said his final journey brought him to Kakuma, Kenya, where he first encountered organized schooling, explaining the displaced children had no books or resources and had to ultimately teach each other.

“If you were the smartest student, you would go in front and teach the whole class,” Magai said.

After spending many years at the refugee camps, many of the Sudanese refugee children, including Magai, had the opportunity to come to America.

The refugees who were fortunate enough to be admitted to America decided they would work to bring change to Sudan, Magai explained.

During their years in the U.S., Sudanese refugees created the Ayual Community Development Association, of which Magai is a member, and other community-based philanthropic groups.

“One of the many objectives of the ACDA is to raise awareness about the Sudan crisis,” Magai said.

Along with raising awareness, Magai said the ACDA devoted its efforts toward educating the younger generations of Sudanese children.

The ACDA also developed the Pongborong Primary School in Magai’s hometown of Dinka, Sudan.

“It’s really nice that someone who came out of it can give back to the children there,” UW sophomore Rachel Behling said.

Magai added the ACDA also educates Sudanese elders who had no opportunity for education during the war.