A Long Walk to Water

A Long Walk to Water is based on the true story of Salva, one of some 3,800 Sudanese “Lost Boys” airlifted to the United States beginning in the mid 1990s.

Before leaving Africa, Salva’s life is one of harrowing tragedy. Separated from his family by war and forced to travel on foot through hundreds of miles of hostile territory, he survives starvation, animal attacks, and disease, and ultimately leads a group of about 150 boys to safety in Kenya. Relocated to upstate New York, Salva resourcefully learns English and continues on to college. Eventually he returns to his home region in southern Sudan to establish a foundation that installs deep-water wells in remote villages in dire need of clean water. This poignant story of Salva’s life is told side-by-side with the story of Nya, a young girl who lives today in one of those villages.

This tale of war and survival is recounted in a simple, pared back, factual manner, revealing the astonishing heroism and perseverance of people such as Salva in the face of such cruel hardship and injustice. ‘One step at a time…one day at a time. Just today – just this day to get through…’ is a mantra often repeated by Salva as he continues steadfastly on his incredible journey.