WICHITA, Kansas, May 1, 2007 – Starvation, murder and disease. The atrocities in Sudan and its Darfur region now have a face here in Wichita.

The words of Valentino Achak Deng will be absorbed by East High students who are craving to hear his story.

"And since he experienced some horrible things growing up there during the civil war, I think it will be a very unique opportunity for us to hear what it's like," Matthew Vines, East High student, said.

Why this topic, though, and why these students? Perhaps because they haven't just heard of the crisis in Sudan, they were instrumental in passing legislation they believe will help stop it.

Friday night, the legislature agreed to stop investing state retirement funds in companies that do business in Sudan. It's believed the Sudanese Government takes those revenues, and then invests them back into the bloodshed it unofficial endorses.

After more than a year of activism in Topeka, East High's Darfur Action Group helped Kansas become the eleventh state to divest from Sudan.

"I actually jumped and screamed once I found out."

Kim Thi Tran is one of a hundred members on the committee who are proud to make a difference, and to change the opinions people have of teenagers.

"I think us doing that, we've set a precedent for high schoolers and other young people, that they can do what they want," Tran said. "What they believe in also."

The students worked closely with Wichita Senator Donald Betts, whose colleagues would not pass the bill last year. This time, though, the right amount of passion and political inexperience from East students may have been a plus.

"The legislators are more willing to listen to us because they know we're not paid lobbyists," Karen Lickteig, East High student, said. "They know that we actually care about the cause that we're trying to promote."

And now these students will do the listening, to the flesh and blood of the Sudan crisis, who offers a face and proof that their efforts made a difference.

"It just really shows him that we're doing something for the people of Sudan," Lickteig said.