Lost Boys Center for Leadership Development

The Arizona Lost Boys Center was originally established to assist the newly resettled Lost Boys of Sudan.  Greater Phoenix resettled more Lost Boys than any other city in the nation. The need for resettlement support for issues ranging from proper use of electricity and plumbing to racial discrimination was overwhelming. The Lost Boys needed to learn the language, find jobs and overcome their lack of access to education as children. Many found their struggles to assimilate to their new country compounded by issues of post-traumatic stress and childhood trauma. With a $300,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services in 2002, the AZ Lost Boys Center was created to become the leading national organization for addressing issues facing the Lost Boys and the only organization in the U.S. with full-time staff from the Sudanese community.