Our Programs

Youth Leadership Initiative
Often, children of refugees feel like they’re living in two worlds, which can cause confusion and resentment. The Youth Leadership Initiative helps kids having difficulty adjusting due to cultural differences through after-school activities and summer programs. These programs range from homework assistance and leadership mentoring, to basketball and hiking.

Connect
LBCLD recognizes that many Sudanese are not informed or aware that they are experiencing PTSD, anxiety or depression. For others, there is tremendous stigma around mental health disorders. Connect is LBCLD’s mental health referral program. Staffed by a licensed social worker (a Lost Boy himself), this program educates the Sudanese community in Greater Phoenix about mental health disorders and normalizes discourse around this important issue. LBCLD provides mental health referrals and trainings to individuals from the Sudanese community and helps to educate local social service agencies about the unique needs of the Sudanese community.

The Archive Project
In 2004, the LBCLD was bestowed with more than 13,000 records from Save the Children. These contain documentaries, films, books, and images that tell the stories of the Lost Boys lives. LBCLD is currently digitizing these documents so that Lost Boys and Girls from around the world, can access the only photos of their childhood, learn about their loved ones, or find closure after years of separation. By the end of 2020, LBCLD will have digitized all 13,000 records. A task force of academia and Lost Boys are developing a plan for how to sensitively make these records public as both an honorarium and an educational experience.

Community Outreach
Members of the Lost Boys Community present to local churches, schools, universities and civic organizations to share stories about their native culture, the civil war, and life in America.