Characters & Setting
Who is the Lost Boy who later founded Water for Sudan and is the main character in the Salva storyline?
Salva Dut
Why do Salva and many other children run from their school into the bush?
They flee because of gunfire/attacks from the war; it becomes unsafe.
What is one challenge Salva or Nya faces in the story?
walking long distances, hunger, carrying water, and crossing the desert. +100
The reason Akeer becomes dangerously ill.
What is drinking contaminated water?
In which country does most of Salva’s early story take place?
Sudan (Southern Sudan)
Name the girl who walks long distances each day to fetch water and is the main character of the second storyline.
Nya
What tragic event happens to Marial during the night as the group sleeps?
Marial is taken and killed by a lion during the night.
Give one example of how Salva keeps going even when things are hard.
He keeps walking through the desert; he does not give up after losing Uncle, and he leads the boys.+200
The group that builds the well in Nya’s village.
What is Water for Sudan?
True or False: Salva’s long walk includes crossing the Nile River.
True
Who is the relative who cares for Salva early in his journey and carries a rifle before eventually returning to fight?
Uncle Jewiir
After crossing the Nile and the desert, in which country’s refugee camp do Salva and the group first arrive?
Ethiopia (Itang refugee camp), later Kenya.
What is one way the new well helps Nya’s village?
Cleaner water, fewer sicknesses, more time for school. +300
Nya’s daily responsibility that keeps her from attending school.
What is fetching water?
Name one country Salva travels through during his refugee journey besides Sudan.
Ethiopia or Kenya
Which tribe does Nya belong to—the one that often clashes with the Dinka?
Nuer
What happens to Uncle when armed men confront the group while they rest near a pond?
Uncle is tied to a tree and killed by the armed men.
Why does the author switch between Salva’s story and Nya’s story? What does it show?
To show how life changed over time and how water affects people.
Salva and the group use this plant to build boats to cross the Nile.
What is papyrus reeds?
What long conflict forms the background setting of Salva’s story (name of the war or general description)?
The Second Sudanese Civil War (North vs. South; government vs. rebels)
What is the name of Salva’s home village, the one named after his grandfather?
Loun‑Ariik
Salva later travels to several countries and eventually resettles in the United States. What city becomes his new home?
Rochester, New York
Give one example of people helping each other in the story.
Salva’s group builds boats, villagers work together for the well, the boys share food. +400
The liquid Nya is amazed to see when the well finally works, even though it is brown at first.
What is clean water from underground?
Why are wells and clean water essential for public health in rural villages? Provide two reasons based on the book.
Prevents waterborne diseases (like cholera, diarrhea, typhoid, amebiasis, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, giardiasis, campylobacteriosis, scabies, and worm infections), saves time and labor, and supports schooling and community development.