Gabriel Agor was five years old when he fled war in Southern Sudan.
In this episode of All Stories Matter, host Marvinetta Woodley Penn talks with Agor, one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan,” about the journey that eventually brought him to Kalamazoo. He recalls walking roughly a thousand miles with other children, with little food or water. He recounts years in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, where he said he first attended a UN-run school and learned English.
Agor says he came to the United States more than two decades ago and settled first in Grand Rapids, with help from church and aid agencies. He worked factory jobs and attended Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan University. He says he earned a bachelor’s degree in communication with a business minor, and that he was the first in his family to go to school. He describes the financial strain of college and how a classmate’s help kept him from dropping out.
He talks about forgiveness, perseverance and faith, and says he hopes to bring his wife and son to the United States. He also describes a dream of building a school and hospital in South Sudan, which he says he would name Gabriel Hope. His advice to listeners: “Just believe and trust God and let God do it for you.”
Watch the full episode to hear his story in his own words.
