African Soul, American Heart : DVD
African Soul, American Heart began as a dream in the heart of Joseph Akol Makeer, a Lost Boy of Sudan. Fleeing genocide in 1987, 10-year-old Joseph trekked through desert and jungle with 30,000 other boys to Ethiopia and later, to Kenya. Thousands died. Joseph was one of the lucky ones-one of nearly 4,000 Lost Boys and Girls settled in the United States beginning in 2001. He arrived in Fargo, North Dakota in 2003 after receiving permission to bring his younger family members with him.
While attending North Dakota State University, Joseph wrote From Africa to America: The Story of a Lost Boy of Sudan to tell the world about the traditional lives of Dinka tribesmen in his village, the atrocities they suffered during the war, the hope sustained by his Christian faith, and how he welcomed the opportunities available to him in the United States.
But Joseph couldn't forget those left behind who continued to suffer, now returning from refugee camps to find their villages burned, the water contaminated, the cattle gone, their way of life destroyed. The 22-year civil war left thousands orphaned - 2,100 in the village of Duk Payuel - more than 20 percent of the population. Many of these children live without adequate food, shelter, clothing, or health care and have no access to education.
African Soul, American Heart follows Joseph back to South Sudan, focusing on the orphans who live there. The documentary retraces the journey of the Lost Boys interviewing officials, clergy, and orphans to raise awareness about the challenges facing the villagers as they reclaim their way of life, and to share Joseph's plan to build a boarding facility where orphans will be fed, clothed, and nurtured, while encouraging their active participation in village life. His dream is that these children are raised "to the level of the rest of the world."
- or download order form here.
