Alephonsion Deng

Who is Alephonsion Deng?

Alephonsion Deng is a South Sudanese writer. He is best known as the co-author of the book They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys of Sudan, along with his brother Benson, cousin Benjamin and American author Judy Bernstein.

In 1989, when Alephonsion was seven years old, his village in Southern Sudan was attacked by government troops. To avoid capture he ran into the night with many other young boys. Without food, water, shoes or parents, he crossed a 1000 miles of lion and crocodile infested territory. After five years of fleeing war, starvation and wild animals, he reached Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya and began his education.

In 2001, the Federal government of the United States welcomed Alephonsion as one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. His first job was at Ralph’s Grocery Store where he worked for nine months. An opportunity came up to be in a Russell Crowe movie hence he spent six months on the Fox Studios set in Rosarito, Mexico where he learned to sail a tall ship, fire a cannon and sword fight.