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Salva, 1985 - The village of Loun-Ariik is attacked
While Salva is at school, his hometown is attacked by soldiers. Gunshots and bombs are going off everywhere. Salva and many others are forced to run into the bush. Salva has no idea where his family is, where they are going, and what is going on in the town. Salva is terrified. -
Salva, 1985 - Salva begins the walk to Ethiopa
Salva finds a group that is walking to Ethiopia, as they would be safe from the war in Ethiopia. Salva would be going to a refugee camp with other kids in Ethiopia, and the others would settle elsewhere. Salva is very worried that he will never see his family again if he is staying at a refugee camp in Ethiopia, and Salva still doesn't know where his family is. -
Salva, 1985 - Salva finds his uncle during the walk, Uncle Jewirr.
Days into the walk, Salva finds his uncle 3 days after he arrives at the group, as the group is very, very big. Salva is overjoyed to see him, but Uncle does not know where his family is at. Uncle sadly gets killed later, and Salva is very devastated. Despite this feeling, Salva keeps his head up and makes it to Ethiopia. -
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Salva, 2003 - 2007
After being driven out of the refugee camp in Ethiopia and surviving a walk to Kenya, Salva goes to America to start a new life. Salva discovers that his father and mother are still alive. Though he can only visit his dad because the town of Loun-Ariik is still involved with the war, so it is unsafe. Sadly, Salva's two siblings had died in the attack. Salva promises to visit the village when it is safe again. -
Nya, 2008 - Nya's daily routine
Nya's daily routine is rough; she has to walk a very long way to a muddy pond to get water for her family twice a day, seven months out of the year. The muddy water is the only water they have access to. -
Nya, 2008 - Akeer's Sickness
Nya's younger sister, Akeer, has a sickness caused by the muddy water she has been drinking that causes her to have cramps, stomachaches, and diarrhea. Though the journey to a medical hospital is dangerous, it is really what Akeer needs. The family has to make a choice, a hard choice at that. -
Nya, 2008 - Akeer gets treatment and Nya's mother is worried
Nya's family decides to take the very long journey and ends up making it to the hospital and getting treatment for Akeer. The nurse tells Nya's mother that Akeer can only drink clean water and if it is dirty, to boil it for 200 seconds. Nya's mother is worried as the pond water could only be collected in small amounts, and if they were to boil it for so long, the water would have evaporated. -
Nya, 2008 - Digging for water
Nya walks outside one day and there are men looking for a specific area that supposedly has water in it to build a well. They eventually stop between two trees and start digging. Nya thinks this is crazy, as the town has searched this area before, but doesn't think much of it and continues her daily routine. This is all part of Salva's business to give water to Sudan. -
Nya, Salva, 2009 - Nya meets Salva
In Nya's village, there is now a well. Nya and Akeer are both healthy and going to school now. Nya is told that a man from the Dinka tribe is responsible for bringing the water. Nya is very surprised as he was Dinka and was helping the Nuer tribe, as both tribes had been fighting each other for years. Nya goes up to the man from the Dinka tribe named Salva to thank him for the water. -
Salva, Nya, 2009 - Salva meets Nya
There is now a well with very fresh water in the village, and there is an extremely long line of people waiting to fill up their water bottles. Despite Salva being in the Dinka tribe and the Dinka tribe is always at war with the Nuer tribe, Salva still gives a well full of clean water to the town. Later, a little girl named Nya comes up to Salva and thanks him for the water.