UNION, N.J. — One of South Sudan’s “lost boys,” Nathaniel Chol Nyok, will present a talk and sign copies of his memoir, Days of Refugee: One of the World’s Lost Boys of Sudan, on Thursday, November 14, from 5-7 p.m. at Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern on Kean University’s campus.
In his book, Nyok recounts his experiences of fleeing his village during the devastating Second Sudanese Civil War as well as his subsequent immigration to the United States. Sponsored by the Human Rights Institute at Kean University, his appearance at Kean is free and open to the public.
“Nathaniel gives a raw account of his experiences from inhumanity to triumph,” said Lauretta Farrell, D.Litt., director of Kean’s Human Rights Institute. “His story challenges readers to look at the devastating impact of prejudice and discrimination as well as the power of education and service to others.”
After struggling to survive in refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia for 14 years, Nyok was admitted as an immigrant to the United States along with 4,000 other “lost boys.”
“While our shared heritage has forever united us, each of our stories, while painfully similar, is deeply personal,” wrote Nyok. “We each walked our own path, saw with our own eyes, felt our own loss, our own pain, and we hold our own hopes and dreams.”
Nyok earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and a master’s degree in diplomacy and international relations. He is the founder and president of Ambassadors for Change: The Nathaniel Chol Nyok Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to building and maintaining a high school in the Jonglei State of South Sudan. A former legislative intern in the Senate, and a former humanitarian and advocacy intern at Save the Children, he also engages in social justice advocacy in Washington, D.C.
In addition to Nyok’s Days of Refugee, food and beverages will be available for purchase at Ursino Steakhouse & Tavern, located at 1075 Morris Ave. in Union.
For more information, contact the Human Rights Institute at Kean University at humanrights@kean.edu or (908) 737-4670.