Africa: Quilt of Cultures: Santino and Peter: Their Lives So Far

Since arriving as refugees in the United States, Sudanese Santino Majok Chour and Peter Nyarol Dut have experienced great cultural shock, and their lives have continued to change as they try to pick themselves up and recover from their traumatic childhood.

Santino, who worked at a local factory in Texas on a night shift, while completing his High School education during the day, has left Texas and moved to San Jose of California since being filmed for The Lost Boys of Sudan. Having graduated from high school in Texas, Santino received a full scholarship for community college from a sympathetic and giving supporter of his documentary. Now with a stable job and income, Santino recently heard from his long lost family members, and is planning to fund their journey back to their home village. With is gripping and captivating stories and experiences, Santino has travelled across the nation participating in school trips, interviews and conferences. Santino Majok Chour has visited many major cities across the United States to tell his stories, including New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Peter is persistent and hard working, and since arriving in the United States, he has experienced both success and disappointment. Since recounting his experiences in The Lost Boys of Sudan, Peter graduated from Olathe East High School, and received a full scholarship and has continued his education in Vermont, at Green Mountain College. Despite experiencing failure to secure a place in his High School basketball team, Peter has continued to chase his dream and explore his love for basketball in college. Like his life-long companion Santino Majok Chour, Peter has participated in numerous conferences, meetings and interviews, and has also collaborated with different human rights and refugee groups such as Congressional Refugee and Human Rights Caucuses.

Both Peter and Santino have led different lives since their arrival in the United States. However, both have continued to try get back on their feet since their ordeal in Sudan.