The Lost Boys of Sudan: Part II

John Chol working on a sculpture

I spoke with Linda Amick last week, the woman in my neighborhood who sponsored John Chol and Joseph Kulang, two of the lost boys who lived here in my neighborhood.  

When I asked Linda how these boys began making ceramics, and there were several of them making the sculptures, she told me the boys needed to earn more money.  They knew they could create animals from clay because they made their own toys when they were young, from mud on the banks of the Nile River.  They began with clay and other materials from Michael's then began working with more professional materials.  They were very successful selling these at the festivals around Atlanta and other places too.  Unfortunately, the recession changed everything and some of the boys began to lose their jobs.  This is how boys, now men, ended up in places like Kansas.  The meatpacking industry paid much more than the minimum wage jobs they were able to find here in Atlanta.

Linda told me that the time she spent with John and Joseph living in her home were some of the most memorable moments of her life.  She remembers the boys singing while they worked on their sculptures.

Linda stays in close touch with John and his five children call her Grandma.  John and his wife are both inspectors for the USDA now, John works the night shift and stays home with the children during the day and his wife works the day shift. 

Linda Amick will be at the event on the 15th and she is a wealth of knowledge on the lost boys, I can't wait for you to meet her!!!

Here are some other pictures Linda shared with me of the sculptures.