5 Great Websites with More Great Information

http://www.helpsudaninternational.org/index.html

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6150471/k.CAAA/Sudan.htm

http://www.womenforwomen.org/global-initiatives-helping-women/help-women-sudan.php

http://www.unocha.org/top-stories/all-stories/south-sudan-aid-organizations-prepare-new-refugee-influx-sudan

http://www.catholicrelief.org/countries/sudan

Main Theme

                                                                                                   

       The main theme of this book is, "Be grateful for what you have, and cherish your family". In this book the two characters have to overcome many challenges, and they have to risk their lives to help their family. Nya a 11-year-old walks through the hot dessert every day to a pond to fetch water for her family. Nya describes it by, "It would take her half the morning if she didn't stop on the way. Heat. Time. And thorns."  In America we turn a knob and water comes out of the faucet. Nya though has to travel twice every day to gather water from a mucky dirty pond. We should be thankful that we have water and food readily available, and we don't have to walk to a pond that's 4 hrs away. Salva has to flee from his family for safety in the bush and then to Ethiopia, Kenya, and finally America. Salva has to live in refugee camps, travel across a desert, and paddle across the Nile. His uncle dies along with his best friend who gets eaten by a lion. Salva says " It had been almost nineteen years since they had last seen each other." And… and my mother?' Salva asked, barely daring to hope. His father smiled. ' She is back in the village.' " Salva wants to go see his mother but he cannot because there is still war going on. This should remind us to really take to heart and cherish the family you have. Someday they might not be there so really spend time with them as often as you can. Be thankful that you don't have to live in refuge camps, and your family isn't torn apart by war. This book has many important lessons but, being thankful  for what you have, and loving the family you have really stuck out to me. 

5 Favorite Quotes

 
    "A step at a time. One problem at a time-just figure out this one problem. Day by day, solving one problem at a time, Salva moved toward his goal" Salva, pg. 110

    "Nya went back and picked up the plastic can. She felt as if she were flying. School! She would learn to read and write!" Nya pg. 104

   "More clothes? Salva shook his head. How can I possibly wear any more clothes?" Salva pg. 92

   "There it was. Salva Dut- Rochester, New York. Salva was going to New York. He was going to America!" Salva pg. 89

   "Nya waited her turn in line. She was holding a plastic bottle. The well was finally finished." Nya pg. 111 

A Long Walk to Water Book Summary

        A Long Walk to Water, is written by Linda Sue Park. The story bounces back between two characters, Nya, and Salva Dut. Nya is an 11-year-old girl who has to walk two eight-hour trips daily to fetch water. She has to watch out for thorns and make sure she gets enough water. The water they drink is from a pond and it is very mucky and dirty.  Nya's family moves back to and from to camps, every year. When it is the dry season she moves to the camp. In the other half of the year she lives at her house with her siblings, and family. On day at the camp her sister Akeer, gets very sick, and has to travel a very long trip, or go to the 'hospital' there. Nya comforts her sister while she is in the camps, medical area. One day two men come to the camp and talk about something Nya did not know about. Later she found out that they were going to build a well for her village, right by her house. When the well is finally built they find out that there is going to be a school and market place built, and she willl be able to go to school. One day Nya mets the builder. She says, "The man smiled. 'Whats your name?' he asked. 'I am Nya.'  ' I am happy to meet you, Nya,' he said. 'My name is ___________'


          Salva is also a 11-year-old boy who is in a war torn village. He fled from his family because of a war break out during school. He ran into the bush not knowing that he wouldn't see his dad for 19 years. He traveled on tough terrain and joined other groups of people from the Dinka tribe on the way. One day Salva met a new friend, named Marial, who was going through the same trial. One day Salva's group met with another tribe, and in this tribe was Salva's uncle. Salva was ecstatic to meet his uncle. One night while they were sleeping a lion ate Marial. They later had to cross the Nile and go through the toughest part of their journey the Akobo desert. Salva's uncle gets shot by a group of armed men in the desert. Later they make it to a refugee camp in Ethiopia and Salva lives there for six years and is later pushed out by soldiers. Salva leads a group of boys and gets most of them to a refugee camp in Kenya. Later Salva moves to the Nairobi refugee camp also in Kenya. Salva is later moved to Rochester New York, in the United States, with a family. Salva lives in the United States for 15 years and later goes to see his dad in the clinic in Sudan. Salva hasn't seen his dad in 19 years and was ecstatic to see him.

A Long Walk to Water Book Review

    

    A Long Walk to Water, by: Linda Sue Park was a great book. The author did a great job of explaining Salva's and Nya's story. The author bounced back from story to story which made it very suspenseful. She included great history about Sudan and the war. She included things about Salva and told his story of the great journey he had to make. She is descriptive, but doesn't go into so much detail when bad things happen. She does a very good job of drawing your attention to the book. She does a wonderful job of showing how these things happen in every day life. It is a great book for middle school and above. I believe that anyone who reads this book will be moved by the stories and actions of the characters. She prompts what is happening in these areas and I believe this story will draw more people to help the cause. Linda Sue Park is an excellent writer and I am very pleased with this book that she wrote. 

For More information on the book go to: http://www.lindasuepark.com/books/longwalk/longwalk.html

10 Facts about Sudan, Africa

• Sudan is so big, that it measures at least one-forth of the Untied States. (http://www.infoplease.com/country/Sudan.html)

• Sudan is a military government.(http://www.infoplease.com/country/Sudan.html)

• The president of Sudan is Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir. (http://www.infoplease.com/country/sudan.html?pageno=1)

• Sudan was in a civil war for 21 years.  (http://www.infoplease.com/country/sudan.html?pageno=1)
• Nearly 2 million people died. (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org)
• 4 million people were displaced from their home land. (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org)
• There were many fierce gun attacks during 1985. (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org)
• During the attacks 17,000 young boys fled to saftey in the bush, these where also called the lost boys of Sudan. (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org)
• During the 1,800mile journey, 5,000 of the lost boys of Sudan died. (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org)
• 12,000 of the boys survived and were displaced and relocated in the United States. (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org)

Salva Dut

                                 
             Salva Dut is the founder of "Water for South Sudan". He was part of the group, lost boys of Sudan, that fled for safety into the bush. They traveled a 1,500 mile journey across the dessert to a refugee camp in Ethiopia and then later where moved out, to a camp in Kenya. During their journey, 5,000 of the 17,000 boys died from bombs,soldiers, animals,and starvation. Later in 1996 Salva was one of the first 3,800 boys that were moved and displaced to the United States. Salva spent 15 years in the United States and got a 2 year associates degree. Then he found out his father was ill with water bone disease. When he saw his father, they told him that the main reason his father was like this was because of the dirty water. Salva later went back to the United States and helped begin "Water for South Sudan". He now travels back and forth from the United States to Southern Sudan helping dig borehole wells for the people there.