Have you ever experienced a horrible day and thought that no one could be having a day as dreadful as yours? Well, you could be having a horrible day, but it’s probably nothing compared to the challenges Salva Mawien Dut Ariik had to face. In the book, Salva needed to face challenges like surviving through the Akobo desert, Living in refugee camps, and losing his family for about 19 years. To begin with, Salva spent three full days in the Akobo Desert. He needed to survive through many challenges. The desert was extremely hot, he didn’t have enough food or water, and he lost his Uncle Jewiir in the desert who was the only family Salva had that he knew of. The desert was truly a horrendous place. Salva was able to keep going because of his …show more content…
The refugee camps had all kinds of issues. At the Itang refugee camp Salva was all by himself with no family or friends, but his Uncle’s advice helped him live through it. He just kept going, one day at a time. Later he traveled to the Kakuma refugee camp. Not only was the Kakuma refugee camp isolated in a parched, windy desert, but was also enclosed with barbed wire. Salva described the refugee camp as a prison on pg. 84. There were even nearby villagers who went into the refugee camp and stole from the refugees. Eventually Salva Left and traveled to the Ifo refugee camp, but it was pretty much the same. There was never enough food and not enough medical care at the Camp. When I compare the conditions,Salva faced to the life I have now, I realize how lucky I am.
Finally, Salva spent a huge segment of his life thinking he would never see his family anymore. It’s exceedingly clear to me that Salva cares about his family. Throughout the book, Salva asks himself question like “When will I ever see my family again?” or “If I leave the country how will I find my family?” Salva constantly thought about his family during the 19 years he spent without them and it made him more determined to find them. I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to survive 19 years without my