Former Sudanese refugee to speak at CWU

One of the "Lost Boys of Sudan" is appearing in Ellensburg on Thursday.

John Bul Dau, subject of the National Geographic award-winning documentary, "God Grew Tired Of Us," will appear at Central Washington University for a screening of the film at 6 p.m. in the SURC Theatre.

Following the film, Dau will host a lecture and answer audience questions at 7:30 p.m. in the SURC Ballroom. All events are free and open to the public.

Dau was one of the 27,000 "Lost Boys of Sudan," displaced by war in Sudan.

His 14-year journey began in 1987, when government troops attacked his village. For the next five years, he led groups of displaced boys for hundreds of miles, surviving starvation, disease and violence.

In 1992, he reached safety at a refugee camp in Kenya. In 2001, Dau emigrated to the United States and settled in Syracuse, N.Y.

Dau thrived in the United States, taking on two jobs, earning an associate's degree and bringing some family members here. Many consider him an American success story.

Dau has founded three nonprofit organizations to benefit other Lost Boys and raised more than $700,000 to build a medical clinic in his home village.

President of the John Dau Sudan Foundation, he is part of efforts to bring peace to the people of Southern Sudan.

Dau co-authored the book, "God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir," in 2007 and has received many awards, including the National Geographic's Emerging Explorers award.

For more information on Dau's journey, visit www.johndaufoundation.org. For information on his visit to CWU, go to www.cwu.edu/~diversity.