‘Lost Boys of Sudan’ member visits Churchville-Chili to share story of resilience

Churchville, N.Y. — The Churchville-Chili Central School District welcomed a special guest whose life story connects directly to their classroom learning.

Fifth-grade students at Churchville Elementary got a first-land lesson Friday in resilience, perseverance and social justice from Dr. Chol Majok, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. The group fled their village at a young age and walked across Africa in search of safety and access to clean water.

Each year, Churchville-Chili students read “A Long Walk To Water,” a book inspired by the Lost Boys’ ordeal.

“Everyone has a story,” Majok said. “We get better as a society, as people, when we get to share those experiences and stories with each other. It’s the way we move each other forward.”

“It was really inspiring,” said student Maddie.

“I think it helped me understand what they went through a lot more than reading the book,” she continued. “Actually meeting him really helped me.”

Churchville-Chili also raises money for the nonprofit organization Water For Sudan. This year, the district collected more than $1,200 to help expand access to clean water in the African country.