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 ever.

In the following poem written by sixteen-year-old teacher Aindrila, she portrays a story of an uneducated individual who assails into darkness, numbness, and gloom. She finds guile everywhere and no innocence. As her poem reads on, hope transcends the darkness through education as a teacher illuminates her student’s mind, once dark, with knowledge that brings with it light and hope for their lives.

Teacher, The Panacea

Why is there darkness all around?
Why with numbness am I bound?
O gloom! How savage is your presence!
Why is there guile and no innocence?

“Divine Being!” said the Father.
“Education is the fire
that takes you higher.
Teacher is the being
who illuminates your being.”

Thanks to the unswerving dedication of teachers like Regina, children in South Sudan have an opportunity to learn from Christ-centered instruction, develop leadership skills and change the expectations for their future, impacting their country for generations.

© Aindrila Chakraborty
Published: May 4, 2018 Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/teacher-the-panacea

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. They comfort. They protect. They rally. They preach peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

It is not easy for them to make this choice to show up and work, especially considering the clear and present dangers of doing that. But for these individuals it’s a means of survival and a means to break the cycle. It takes one, two, three, and more who choose this path to help counter the many who take to fighting a senseless war. These internal conflicts after all see no victories.

While there are no statistics currently representing employment in South Sudan, there are examples of those who are currently employed and working today. The organization Harvesters Reaching the Nations, which has been operating in South Sudan for nearly 17 years, continues operating two orphanages, two Primary Schools and two churches collectively in Terekeka and Yei. As of this writing, they currently employ 116 South Sudanese staff including administrators, housemothers, nurses, laborers, teachers and pastors. This number has decreased slightly since the fall of 2016 because of the insecurity that’s been occurring in the Yei area, but nevertheless there are South Sudanese who chose to stay.

Each native South Sudanese who has chosen to stay and work is investing in their country’s future. And while the economy, or lack thereof, doesn’t currently reflect these efforts…it’s these same efforts that will play a pivotal role in healing a nation ravaged by war and rebuilding it into something that can flourish one day.

For now though, they teach students. They care for the young. They care for the sick. They comfort. They protect. They rally. They preach peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. They survive.

“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 to cross paths with Ambassador Jordan.

Yemba worked in Saudi Arabia in hotel security in the late 90s. He was a man of deep Christian faith who held religious services in his home in Riyadh. These types of services were allowed as long as they were held privately according to Ambassador Jordan, yet for unknown reasons the Saudi religious police burst into Yemba’s home and forced him into prison. Serving months in solitary confinement, he was never charged with a crime. A friend of Ambassador Jordan approached him with the story of Yemba and the concerning plan that he would be released from prison but not allowed to stay in Saudi Arabia. Instead they were going to deport him back to Sudan where he was certain to face death as a result of the earlier persecution of his family.

Ambassador Jordan’s friend implored him to intervene on Yemba’s behalf. It’s unusual, to say the least, for an American ambassador to intervene on behalf of a non-US citizen. “But Michael touched my heart” Ambassador Jordan writes in his book. “No one from Sudan, or anywhere else, was going to save him. I knew it was up to me to find a solution to avoid sending him back to a death sentence.” Through his position, Ambassador Jordan asked a favor of a high ranking Saudi cabinet minister and prince. That favor was for a 30-day delay of Yemba’s deportation so that arrangements could be made for him to come to the US with his wife. This favor was granted through the long-standing relationship Ambassador Jordan had with the Prince. Through contacts with the State Department, Ambassador Jordan secured a visa for temporary religious workers for Yemba. Further connections were made with a seminary in Pennsylvania so that Yemba and his wife could relocate to the US. Yemba completed his divinity degree, obtained his Master’s and relocated to Dallas where today he pastors a church, serves as Director of Strategic Leadership Opportunities at Empower One and as a member of the Board of Trustees of Harvesters Reaching the Nations.

Quotes above are from Robert Jordan’s book, Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia Following 9/11. (Potomac Books, 2015). For more details on Yemba’s story and others read Ambassador Jordan’s book, Desert Diplomat: Inside Saudi Arabia Following 9/11.

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 made new to us as the prophet Jeremiah notes. Each dawn brings with it renewed hope. Two thousand years ago, there was a dawn that broke the darkness once and for all so that we might never again have to live in fear. As Jesus’ followers cowered in the darkness of an upper room, hope was in short supply and one can only imagine the thick despair that weighed on them that Friday night and Saturday. And then, Sunday dawned. The stone was rolled away, the Savior risen from the grave and the disciples, indeed the world, forever changed. Shaken from their grief, they embark on a mission to spread the good news of Jesus’ resurrection to the ends of the earth, a mission we are now a part of. All because of a new dawn so many years ago.

Agnes and her many fellow South Sudanese look expectantly for a new dawn of peace. Their hope is strained, stretched, and at times appears illogical. They continue to lack security, basic comforts, and opportunities that we in America can so easily take for granted. South Sudan is a difficult place but the faith of its believers is daily made resilient by their Lord who cannot and will not forsake them. Indeed as Paul says in Romans 8, nothing can separate them from His love. We do not know when or even if peace will return to South Sudan during our lifetimes. What is known is that the story of Easter, the message of the gospel, of Jesus’ resurrection and gift of salvation to all who believe, is the only means of obtaining lasting peace. Our South Sudanese brothers and sisters cling to this message faithfully. They find renewed hope each day in the Prince of Peace and call on all those who will listen to heed the message of the gospel of peace.

So join with Agnes and her fellow believers in South Sudan in clinging to the words of Paul, words written from a prison cell, as he writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“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 danger, you may still experience discrimination and further abuse. These are some of the factors which make displaced populations particularly vulnerable.” – United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Rhetoric we read in the news often tends to dehumanize people who are “displaced”. But they are real and they are defenseless. The vast majority of them are women and children. They can no longer live in their homes. They have been exiled, banished, ousted and disposed of due to the horrific conditions in the communities where they lived. Today that is happening to 3.4 million South Sudanese men, women and children.

1.9 million “internally displaced” South Sudanese have not crossed a border to find safety. Unlike refugees, they are on the run at home. Many remain close to, or have become trapped in, zones of conflict. They risk being caught in the crossfire. They also risk experiencing hatred, revenge attacks and violence. They are among the most helpless people in the world.

1.5 million “refugees” have fled South Sudan to neighboring countries. The majority are living in camps or resettlement centers. While living conditions are often challenging, today’s refugees do receive food, basic shelter, medical supplies and logistical support. Their security is greatly improved over those who remain in-country as they are further away from the violence which forced them to leave their homes. The UN has found that those who don’t seek shelter in camps either take refuge with host families and communities or they move to cities where they blend into impoverished urban zones. Whichever route they go, these are people who have fled their homes and left all of their support structures behind, often having extensive needs that are hard to trace.

We are called on as Christians to care for these people. Children who are left orphaned, separated from their parents, homeless and severely traumatized. Women who are invisible to the world, desperate to care for their children but at risk of violence. Men who are unable to provide for their families; many who were distinguished at home but are now defenseless. Every one of them has a story, a hope, and a dream.

Will you join us today in praying for them?

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8-11

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, and weak levels of student learning. Faced with an adult literacy rate of just 27%, it is imperative that education opportunities in South Sudan strengthen and grow at the Primary and Secondary School levels.

The advantages of a Primary School (Elementary) education are clear. Currently, just 40% of children who are eligible attend primary school. Only about 1/3 of those complete their primary education. Additional and smaller classrooms in permanent buildings, improved curriculum, and further teacher training all will contribute to improving these rates.

For employment prospects, completing Secondary School (High School) is a distinct advantage. It is a general degree useful across all employment sectors, and is understood as a constant valuable currency in an economy that is developing and erratic. Yet the country is facing many challenges here. Only 2.4% of eligible students are enrolled in secondary school. The drop-out rate is significant, ranging from 18-33% depending on the grade.

The subject matter of education is crucial for people to survive in South Sudan. Besides the traditional secondary curriculum, practical learning in the areas of agriculture, automotive repair, building trades, tailoring, etc. are all valuable. Those employment sectors are more stable in South Sudan. Also, in the erratic economy that currently exists, many of the skills the people acquire in these areas will keep them alive. When one cannot count on a market, grocery store, or hardware/repair business operating over a period of time, one relies on those skills learned in school like growing food, making clothes, and repairing necessity-type items to survive in tough times such as these.

Despite the uncertainty and what appears to be overwhelming challenges of reaching quality educational goals, we see a nation thirsty for spiritual growth and learning. Education is key to providing a secure future for South Sudan.

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 have a risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, and where 1 of 9 children will die before they reach the age of five. This is South Sudan. It’s the newest nation in the world as of 2012, and despite decades of civil war and ongoing unrest, there’s still hope.

This hope comes from the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and the opportunity for education. But hope often brings with it work to be done. The health care and educational systems, as well as many other segments of society, were decimated during years of conflict. Significant rebuilding efforts are needed which entail an educated and skilled workforce.

To build this workforce so that people are lifted out of poverty and have a chance to improve their lives requires the basics – an opportunity for education. Only 37% of the population above the age of six has ever attended school. Only 44% of children are enrolled in primary school and only 1.6% attend secondary school. Children living in rural areas (like Terekeka) suffer the most – 58% are not enrolled in school. And these numbers are all prior to the most recent conflict which caused many schools to close.

The opportunity is there. Young people are hungry for the word of Christ and an education so they can serve as the future leaders of South Sudan. Leaders who can occupy highly visible political positions or serve as the heads of businesses and locally in their churches, hospitals, schools, small businesses, and independent farms and in their families. They are the future of South Sudan. They are the change the country so desperately needs.

We hope with them and pray for this opportunity and for peace.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. – 2 Peter 1:3-8

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 casting of votes. South Sudan endured a long fight for their independence and it soon became clear that another fight, one for unity, representation and justice this time, was just emerging. In late 2013, simmering tensions erupted and these have kept South Sudan in an extremely fragile state. For three of South Sudan’s five years of nationhood, the country has been embroiled in conflict, the cloud of suffering and discouragement hangs heavy across the land…and yet there is hope!

As Americans and more foundationally, as believers living in America, we have every reason to be hopeful for this young nation. Over two hundred years ago we declared our own independence and yet we had a long road to traverse in creating unity and establishing representation and justice for all. Through God’s gracious hand, we have come a long way and yet we recognize the need for continual progress. The South Sudanese can stand firm in their faith that the same God who has worked and continues to work in our country is also at work in theirs. A nation and its leaders are not our hope, He is. And this hope is rooted in the fact that He remains constant and unchanging (Hebrews 13:8).

Right now South Sudan needs ministers of reconciliation. Over 50% of their population is under the age of 18 and this means an entire generation is like fields ripe for harvest (John 4:35). South Sudan is a land of many people and yet we serve a God who through the sacrifice of His Son has provided the means to make one Body out of many. The throne room of the King of Kings will one day be filled with the praises of those from the various tribes of South Sudan and we believe that the young generation you have partnered with us to invest in is an integral part of God’s plan for the future of this nation. The misguided actions of the few cannot be allowed to drown out the voices of the many who long for peace, security and justice. Please stand with us in support of the South Sudanese and join with us in praying for God to continue raising up men and women as ministers of reconciliation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Cor. 5:17-21

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 the world’s newest nation on July 9, 2011. As the 42nd largest country in the world and the 15th largest country in Sub-Sahara Africa, there was great hope and promise. Celebrations were held in Freedom Squares throughout the country. The journey for peace was fraught with difficulty though. Armed conflict broke out in December 2013. Since then there’s been a cycle of fighting and numerous ceasefire agreements. A peace accord, signed in early 2016, formed a transitional government which many hoped would lead to more stability. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Renewed fighting broke out in Juba in July of this year. On a national scale, this shattered the fragile peace process. Locally, people are suffering terribly. Enormous numbers of people have been displaced – about 1.6 million internally and over 880,000 are refugees in neighboring countries.

Yet despite these circumstances, there is hope in the voices of the South Sudanese. There are noble people actively working for and praying for peace. But what kind of peace can we expect? Scriptural peace. It is peace in the midst of great trials, much like what is happening today. In John 14:7, Jesus says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” It doesn’t seem possible this peace could exist in South Sudan but it does. It is in the hearts and minds of her people. It is divine and supernatural. They hear Christ’s words to remain calm. They know His peace can affect and overrule their circumstances.

Let us all pray and hope with them. That this peace will soon spread throughout the land.

A’minu Ma Nina. Hope With Us.