They walked
for days, then weeks, then months and finally for over a year. They
walked anywhere from 700 to 1,000 miles, first to Ethiopia, then back
to Sudan, then south to Kenya, looking for safety. Ten and eleven year
olds were the elders. Seven and eight year olds became each others'
parents, binding one another's wounds, sharing sips of muddy water,
burying their dead. When the littlest ones became too weak or tired
to continue, the older boys picked them up and carried them. Some boys,
too exhausted to go on, simply sat down and died of starvation or dehydration.
Others lagged behind, becoming easy prey for lions.