Apr 29, 2015 4 min read

The brutal, vivid memories and physical scars will never leave Paul Deng Kur, but talking about the horrors he experienced as a young child does provide some relief.

Kur, 33, of Castle Shannon, is one of The Lost Boys of Sudan, the name given to thousands of boys from the Nuer and Dinka ethic groups who were displaced or orphaned during the second Sudanese civil war between 1983 and 2005. He visited Trinity High School Monday to discuss his past and his future goals in an effort to increase global awareness. His presentation was shown via video conference to six other schools in Western Pennsylvania.

Kur, while answering student questions, touched briefly on his ordeal. In 1987, at the age of 5, he was separated from his family during an attack on his village. Believing the attack left him orphaned, Kur and 12 other boys traveled for several months to a refugee camp in Ethiopia. Along the way, all but three boys perished from malnutrition, animal attacks or other occurrences.

Kur said life in the refugee camps was difficult. Foods like maize, beans and oil were provided, but didn’t last long. He would eventually bounce in and out of five countries seeking refuge. But each time, revenge would drive him elsewhere.

“I joined the army because I thought everyone (I loved) had been killed. I wanted revenge,” Kur said. “Those are the realities of war. I fought for 10 years. I was injured many times.”

But hope that somehow his family had survived kept him from being swallowed by grief and hate.

“The thought of one day finding my family is what kept me going.”

In 2001, at 18, Kur was among 3,800 boys who were allowed to resettle in the United States. His transition to life in the United States was difficult at times, especially when he visited a supermarket for the first time.

“I was amazed. Many of you are lucky to live in this country because in other countries there is no food, not even for children.”

Kur, who had only a second-grade education and spoke no English, was also thrust into the U.S. school system.

“They put me in 11th grade,” he said. “I had never sat in a classroom.”

Kur said school in his village was held under a large tree. If it rained that day, classes were canceled. He now holds a bachelor’s degree from Clarion University and a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He is working toward achieving a second master’s degree from Duquesne University and hopes to one day earn his doctorate. He describes himself as a advocate for children and women’s rights and aspires to create lasting change in his native country.

“My life has changed a lot,” he said. “I look forward to changing others.”

But before he can do that, Kur has one goal – to see his family for the first time in 28 years. In 2005, with the help of a friend, Kur located his family. His parents and siblings had managed to survive the attack that separated him. They thought he was dead, holding his funeral twice.

He’s tried to return to South Sudan to visit, but financial complications have prevented it. He is hopeful that a second book deal – he wrote a memoir, “Out of the Impossible: The Hope of the Lost Boy” - will fund his goal. As a small token of thanks, Trinity presented Kur with roughly $200 to help in his effort.

James Tucker, the teacher who helped coordinate Kur’s visit, said it’s important for students to hear about his journey.

“His story is transformative,” Tucker said. “It humbles and it inspires. Global awareness is very important. We are all interconnected. The world has been flattened.”