Regina’s message only hints at the difficulty of her circumstances and what it’s like to continue to live and work in South Sudan today. With the constant threat of violence, rampant inflation putting most of life’s basic necessities out of reach and uncertainty about the future, the crucial role of teachers and their impact on children is highlighted more than …
They Show Up
There are a lot of individuals like Harvesters’ security guard Martin, doing what they can, day by day, to bring some sense of stability to themselves, their family, and their community. They do so by showing up for work and using their gifts to make a difference. They teach students. They care for the young. They care for the sick. …
“You Saved My Life”
“You saved my life” are heartfelt words Michael Yemba shared with former United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Robert Jordan. Their story began before their first meeting. Years before, Yemba’s stepfather, a Christian leader (in Muslim Sudan) and his mother were forcibly taken from their home and shot to death. Yemba escaped to Saudi Arabia, starting him on his journey …
But Then Came The Dawn
For the South Sudanese, the journey of life has been marked by long stretches of violence, deprivation, and desperation with only occasional glimmers of peace peeking through for short periods of time. Yet in something that is so easily overlooked, God’s hope is reaffirmed. Each day as the rays of sunshine push back the darkness of night, His mercies are …
A Difficult Reality To Bear
“Being forced to flee your home doesn’t just mean losing the roof over your head. It’s about losing your connection to your family, to your source of income (your fields, your place of work), it’s about losing access to the network of people around you who you would normally turn to in times of hardship… Once you have fled immediate …
Practical Education for Practical Jobs
Social, economic, and political realities are so fragile in South Sudan that education remains of profound importance. For the last decade, South Sudan has seen significantly increasing school enrollments, yet its institutions are still being formed and transformed. Among its many challenges are a concentration of students in the early grades; a high proportion of overage students, repetition, and dropout, …
A Nation Thirsty for Education
Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Picture this…you live where people survive on less than a dollar per day, where there’s the lowest adult literacy rate in the world at 27%, where only 1/3 of children who enroll in primary school will complete school, where 1 in 7 women …
A Generation Ripe for Harvest
When South Sudan declared its independence on July 9, 2011, hope soared and for once, the roughly 60 tribes that make up this country put forth a unified front in creating a new nation. And yet, despite the extraordinary milestone, it would prove impossible for the deep wounds and traumas of the past decades to be erased with the simple …
Can South Sudanese expect peace given their history?
Two lengthy civil wars occurred in Sudan from 1955 to 1972 and from 1983 to 2005. These wars created an unprecedented environment of exclusion and neglect. The lack of economic, social and spiritual development resulted in egregious suffering, loss of life and opportunities. Widespread poverty and food insecurity were the norms for decades. Yet South Sudan overcame that to become …