By Patricia Shafer | Chief Catalyst
It has been a challenging year in the new country of South Sudan. Government and opposition forces continue to clash and formal peace negotiations are slow to make progress. Nevertheless, we’re glad to report that the Raising South Sudan project, to which you kindly contributed, has made progress for education and literacy at schools in Unity State. We’re writing to share the latest news in our quarterly update to donors through our Global Giving campaign “Help Lost Boys Support Education & Peace.” We share this report as Mothering Across Continents, the organizer of Raising South Sudan, a project inspired by former Lost Boys of Sudan in North Carolina, Georgia and Colorado.
Former Lost Boy returns to South Sudan
For more than two years, former Lost Boy of Sudan James Lubo Mijak of Charlotte, NC, has been working in South Sudan as a liaison for the school donors built in his home village of Nyarweng. In October, we provided a year’s stipend for former Lost Boy James Manyror of Littleton, CO, to return to South Sudan with a focus on the orphanage and school he helped found in Pariang Village. The school is called “Gumriak” (translated: for those who survived the disaster). “Lubo” and James will also work together to manage and represent the overall Raising South Sudan project to the local government.
Plan for Scholarships
With James Manyror’s return to South Sudan, we have identified 25 children from Aliap, the home village of Ngor Kur Mayol of Atlanta, GA, to attend the Gumriak school in 2015. Along with teachers at the school and the local PTA, they explained the role of education to Aliap parents, many of whom have never been to school and can’t read. Total enrollment at Gumriak is now 145, an increase from 120 at the beginning of the year. The addition of Aliap students will bring enrollment to 170 by March 2015. The school already has 8 teachers, cooks, guards and experienced volunteers. We have transferred funds for benches and chairs.
Peace Postcards in December
Support for peace and humanitarian development go hand in hand. So, we continue to be a voice and catalyst for peace negotiations while supporting schools. On Sept. 21, International Peace Day, we held an opening reception of the “Memes for Peace” exhibit at Charlotte’s Mint Museum Uptown, featuring postcards curated from more than 700 designed by students at Myers Park High School. More than 3,000 have been signed (from a goal of 5,000) to be sent to Congress in conjunction with World Human Rights Day, Dec. 10. You can sign a virtual Memes for Peace postcard at http://www.motheringacrosscontinents.org/MemesForPeace/.
Please note, December 2, 2014, is designated across the US as “GivingTuesday.” It’s a reminder after Thanksgiving and before Christmas that the gift of giving to people in need is a special part of the holiday season. In December, a focus of our “Help Lost Boys Support Education & Peace” effort through Global Giving will be scholarship support to accommodate Aliap children at the Gumriak school in 2015. We hope you will support this worthy project in the spirit of “Lubo’s” now well-known comment: “From Education Comes Wisdom. From Wisdom Comes Peace.”
We always welcome questions, suggestions, and tax-deductible donations to support. Contact us: info@motheringacrosscontinents.org
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
