PESS LOGO 2012
Chronicles of Hope
Spring 2014
Vol. 6, Issue 2

Dear Donors and Friends of Project Education South Sudan,

As the crisis in South Sudan enters its third month with no clear path to resolution, we want to update our donors and friends regarding our plans and activities during these past three months as we look to the future.

Daniel Majok Gai & Family

 

As many of you know, our South Sudan Director, Daniel and his family, escaped the violence in Bor after spending nine days in hiding in the bush without clean water or food. Daniel's son Thon was critically ill requiring hospitalization.PESS, along with many of you helped Daniel, wife Yom and son Thon evacuate Juba and temporarily relocate to Nairobi, Kenya.

Carol Rinehart, our US Director, flew to Nairobi and helped them settle in a two room apartment where their 12 year old niece and nephew were able to be flown in from the refugee camps to safely join them. Thon's health has significantly improved and the whole family is settled for now.

Daniel and Carol have worked diligently to gain US citizenship for Thon which came last week! Daniel is now working on his wife's refugee status hoping she and Thon can join him in June when he travels to Denver, Colorado. Daniel's extended family, including his 95 year old father, Baba Gai are safely in Juba and a refugee camp in Uganda. Daniel has been instrumental with helping them to safety during the current crisis.

PESS Activities During South Sudan Crisis

Our primary concern has been the health and safety of Daniel and his family.

All donor funds are secure in US and Kenyan bank accounts pending resolution of the current crisis. Carol Rinehart, US Director, met for two weeks in Nairobi, Kenya to discuss PESS plans for the future, assess our current projects and secure Daniel's family status through the US Embassy in Nairobi. To hear about Daniel's harrowing journey in hiding, please listen to or view the following moving links from: NPR,  CPR Colorado Matters,The Denver Post and  Al Jazeera America.

Carol and Daniel are able to communicate weekly regarding the conditions in the areas where our schools are located in Jonglei State. At present, it is not safe for Daniel to travel in the Bor area where three schools are located or Twic East where the other two schools are located. While we have not done our own physical inspection of school sites, we have been informed by Daniel's contacts in South Sudan that Tong Pagook Primary School has NOT been looted or destroyed. Marc Nikkel Primary School and Jonglei Hope Academy HAVE been looted, but we don't know the extent of the damage. We do not know the status of Ayak Anguei Girl's School or Gopmeth Primary School. We are hopeful that Daniel's contacts in South Sudan will yield similar reports on the other schools.

Future Plans for PESS

Construction progress at Tong Pagook Primary School

At present we have funding to complete the following construction and other projects that were supposed to be implemented this dry season, February through May 2014:

  • Four final classrooms at Tong Pagook Primary School
  • Drill a third new water well in Pagook
  • Implement the school gardens at Tong Pagook Primary and  Ayak Anguei Girl's Primary
  • Implement the HIV/AIDS Youth Program at Bor College High, Langbar Modern Secondary, and Tong Pagook Primary
  • Implement a Student Government Program at Tong Pagook Primary, Ayak Anguei Primary, Bor College High and Langbar Modern Secondary
  • Implement a Feminine Hygiene Management and Pad Production Program at Tong Pagook Primary, The Pagook Mother's Union, Bor College High and Langbar Modern Secondary.
  • Sponsor through She's the First a total of 25 former Ayak Anguei girls attending Malek Academy, Bor College High, and Langbaar Mondern Secondary.

Key to resuming our activities in South Sudan will be an end to current hostilities, rule of civil law and the return of families and children from the refugee camps to their communities where our schools are located.  While no one can predict the timing of a return to normalcy, we are hopeful through the efforts of the United Nations, US government, the international community and the non-governmental agencies (NGO's) that peace will return to South Sudan.

In the meantime we will continue to monitor and assess activities in South Sudan.

Please contact Carol, Daniel or Ray if you have any questions about updates on our activities or other matters regarding South Sudan.  We thank you for your continuing support of our efforts and concerns for the people of South Sudan. 

Ray Stranske, Board Chair

Carol Francis-Rinehart, US Director

Daniel Majok Gai, South Sudan Director

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