Summer 2010 PES Chronicles of Hope Newsletter

Chronicles of Hope Newsletter

Summer 2010 Vol.2, Issue 2

Dear Friends of PES:

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. This past spring and summer has been quite full of exciting news and opportunities.

I returned from the field in March and would like to update all you generous donors about the wonderful progress your support has made possible this year.

Children Holding Banner The theme of this year's Journey of Hope 2010 trip was one of expanding partnerships at the local, state and country level. Being a registered NGO with the Government of Southern Sudan allowed PES partner benefits with the United Nations, CARE International, UNICEF, Ministry of Education, Catholic Relief Services, Polish Humanitarian Action, JAM, and World Food Programme to name a few. Panther Kelei, our PES Field Coordinator and I, along with veteran IRC nurse, Myrna Coleman, were able to do quite a lot of work in two month's time.

Sudan was preparing for their first election to be held in April 2010 when we arrived in February. We arrived in Juba to candidate posters and many people wearing "Register to Vote" t-shirts. This was a very crucial trip. The emerging government, ministries, and institutions of South Sudan are focused on getting positioned for the referendum vote in January 9, 2011. The outcome of this election will determine whether South Sudan becomes a separate autonomous country from the North.

Ayuen with Register to Vote T-shirt

There has been inter-tribal conflict in Jonglei State where we work and it was more tense than usual. But in spite of it, we were able to safely proceed with our project development.

We visited each school site, met with the community leaders, PTA, local Civil Administrators, Bor and Twic East County Commissioners, and Jonglei State Ministries of Education and Healthcare. We conducted micro-lending surveys for Women's Global Empowerment Fund, delivered 300 of The Women's College, University of Denver Book bags filled with much needed panties for the Ayak Anguei Girls' Primary school, 40 teacher resource radios for our partners Ears to Our World as their Sudan pilot program, soccer uniforms and balls donated by Heritage High Girls' Soccer Team, passed out little preemie caps and dolls knitted by Women4Women Knitting4Peace, delivered school supply funds provided by Hamilton Middle and Plano High Schools, and delivered hundreds of letters to students from their sister schools Eaglecrest High and Wellington Middle School. Due to food shortages many schools were not able to open until World Food Programme food supplies were arranged to be delivered. PES worked with WFP to arrange the delivery to ensure the children had at least one meal a day provided at school.

ETOW Teacher Workshop w/PES Teacher Manual

This year's teacher training in-service workshops were extended to include Gopmeth along with Maar, Paliau, Piol, Marial, Pagook, Konbek, and Makuac. PES Field Coordinator Panther Kelei and Headmasters James Deng from Ayak Anguei, Lual Awan from Tong Pagook, and Peter Lual Ayiei from Marc Nikkel Schools assisted with all workshops.

Enjoy reading the rest of our summer newsletter to catch up on all the wonderful happenings here and in Sudan.

Thank you for your continued trust, confidence and support. Together we ARE building schools and HOPE in Sudan!

Carol Francis-Rinehart

Co-Founder/Executive Director

Highlights From The Field

Konbek-Ayak Anguei Girls' Primary School

Elizabeth Majok Awuoi, new Matron and teacher at Ayak Anguei is a constant nurturing, educational and inspirational support for the over 600 girls at Ayak Anguei. She is a competent teacher and source of advice and love for the girls whose families and homes are far away from the boarding school.
Over 110 girls from Ayak Anguei walked 3-5 hours in over 120 + degree heat to come and receive their book bags filled with panties from their Sisters at The Women's College. They swept, dusted, and cleaned the classrooms in preparation to receive their precious gift of an imprinted book bag imprinted with "Nyankei"/"Sisterhood" in Dinka and Ayak Anguei Girl's School/The Women's College of the University of Denver imprint surrounding it.
Two dormitories are completed waiting for the final stucco to be applied at Ayak Anguei. One dorm was funded by the community and one dorm was funded by YOU, our donors. The girls are in dire need of bunk beds and bedding as they are still sleeping on the cold ground now with heavy rains and flooding conditions.

Maar-Jonglei Hope Secondary Academy/Marc Nikkel Primary

Marc Nikkel Primary is now serving over 1,700 students. Four new classrooms to be completed in September 2010.
Jonglei Hope Secondary is scheduled to be a part of a consortium of three secondary schools: Malek, Werkok & Jonglei Secondary with a shared Kenyan headmaster.
CARE International in partnership with PES and with the help of the Maar community are digging five, 18 foot deep pits which will provide Jonglei Hope Secondary with five latrines.
Grinding mills in Maar area villages, Piol and Marial, are assembled and operated by women! Assessment report of Paliau due in September.

Pagook-Tong Primary/Pagook Secondary

Pagook Secondary is in the midst of completing their third and fourth classrooms and following up with PHA and Wan San for pit latrines.
Tong Primary, which is serving over 400 students, was rated by the county education civil administrator as the top primary school in the area.
Catholic Relief Services built four coed pit latrines for Tong Primary.
Grinding mill - operating daily and thriving as a community business run by women.
Sewing machines - 4 PES funded machines are being assembled and Fr. Michael is teaching the women to sew for a future business.
Cinder block machine - The community is making all blocks for school construction; renting out machine as an income producing business.

Gopmeth

Sewing machines PES delivered earlier this year to the women of Gopmeth are all set up and a tailoring business is operating and run by women!
Grinding mill-Finished construction of grinding mill building; supplied funding for final mill repair so women can establish their grinding mill business.
New Water Well-funded by Blood Source Blood Bank Sacramento, California. To be drilled next dry season 2011.

Student Highlight

Grace Adeng Deng, is the first to raise her hand during math lessons. Math is her favorite subject. The

teachers at Ayak Anguei Girls' Primary School have noticed Grace's abilities and have high hopes for her. A few years ago, however, Grace wasn't even attending school. This was because there was no school for girls in her village or surrounding area. The village of Konbek now works in collaboration with PES building the all girls' school. Grace could not be an honor student if Ayak Anguei was not a boarding school. If she had to go home after school, she would be unable to focus on her studies due to having to fetch water, grind grain, help tend to her siblings with the possibility of ending up in an early arranged marriage. "It is important as girls worldwide to get educated. If a woman is educated she can then be an equal contributing member in her family when she marries." "If I am educated, then I can inspire my future daughters to go to school, passing on from one generation to the next." Grace's message to you is one of thanks for helping the girls this year by providing a much needed dormitory. "We can all safely stay on the school compound and focus on our studies."

What's New and Thanks To You!

Project Education Sudan Awarded $70,000 Grant from LARABAR

**Left to Right:** Sarah McDowell, LARABAR Brand Development, Daniel Gai and Panther Abuk, PES Sudanese Board Members, Carol Rinehart, Exec. Dir.

We are excited to announce Project Education Sudan has received a generous grant from our dear friends at LARABAR. It will help PES expand its school development in three villages in Jonglei State, Southern Sudan, thanks to a $70,000 Grant from LARABAR, Small Planet Foods, General Mills. The Grant, which will be rolled-out over three years, will result in our schools continued development of Jonglei Hope Secondary Academy in Maar, Ayak Anguei Girls' Primary in Konbek and Pagook Secondary in Pagook. All three schools serve over 1,500 students of which over half are girls.

Wellington Middle School, Sister School to Pagook Secondary had a fundraising Walk for Sudan benefit this spring raising nearly $2,000 for the Pagook Secondary School's fourth classroom.
Hamilton Middle School, Sister School to Pagook Secondary, raised $1,500 for school supplies this past fall.
Eaglecrest High School, Sister School to Ayak Anguei Girls' Primary, raised $3,000 toward the newly constructed dormitory this spring.
Salida Circus/Salida Schools-Sister schools to Pagook Secondary, raised over $3,000 last fall to help complete two classrooms.
Half the Sky Fair, Aug.7 & 8th, The Women's College benefit for Pennies for Peace, Project Education Sudan & Women to Women International. Proceeds to PES will benefit the Ayak Anguei Girls' school uniform drive.
Plano High School, Plano, Texas raised $500 for school supplies this past fall.
500 student letters were delivered from five US schools to Maar, Konbek, and Pagook students.
GlobalGiving dorm campaign-raised over $8,000 to date.
Spring classroom campaign-Pagook ,raised over $9,000.
Diocese of Indianapolis has raised over $12,000 so far for the girls' dorm at Jonglei Hope Secondary Academy... still working on raising the balance by December 2010.