Southern Sudan Education Project #4
July 2nd, 2005
Southern Sudan Education Project
24 june 2005
Yomchiir, Bor South County, Upper Nile Region, Southern Sudan
All of the logistical problems in Kenya are instantly forgotten when 250 backpacks, excercise books, pens and pencils are distributed to happy, singing children at Yomchiir Primary School and Leiliir Primary School in Southern Sudan. The excited chatter of children fills the huts that are their classrooms as we open our bags and organize the supplies we have brought. Tiny faces crowd the doorway peering out at the gifts for them.
The children line up class by class and receive their backpacks. A few have surprises in them - shoes, balls, toys. Anything we were able to pack in before leaving the states. We pump up the soccer balls. We have brought two to each school. A teacher arranges a football match between primary one and Primary Two classes. He explains the rules and drops the ball. A group of twenty boys excitedly chase the ball down the dirt that has been designated as the field. They quickly leave the field and follow the ball out and around the entire school compound. We laugh as we watch a herd of boys running after the ball in the distance. The mechanics of the game can be learned later. For now, they are having tremendous fun running, running, running.
We distributed the supplies on a Friday. Many students were not in attendance, but we only distributed to those who were in school. As we wandered through the area during the weekend, we saw our students proudly carrying their bags through the village. They stopped to wave and yell ‘thank you’ to us each time they saw us. it was no surprise to see many, many more students in school on Monday.
We visited the schools again, this time to distributed the food that was donated by Feeding Children International. Again, we were greeted by happy, happy children. Although the crops are now waist high, there is famine in the village. There will be little food until the harvest, so the food that we have distributed will be more than these children will get at home and more than the rest of their families will get for some time. They are greatful.
The teachers are also greatful. Many of them work for free and they are happy to have some resources to use for their teaching.
The teachers and community leaders have committed to increase the number of boys in school by 10% and the number of girls in school by 25% in the next 6 months. We have a trusted source on the ground who will monitor attendance twice a month and update us. Students have agreed to bring their friends and brothers and sisters. our source on the ground will periodically distribute the remaining supplies to students who are in attendance. Variable reinforcement for attending school every day.
When the community meets their commitment to increase the number of students, we will arrange for grain mills and water pumps that will relieve the burden of sending kids to school. A family of 4 requires about 2kg. of grain every day. That grain takes 4 hours to prepare. A grain mill will give mothers at least 4 hours of time to do other household tasks that their girls might have otherwise been responsible for - this technology is critical to increasing the education of girls in the area.
As we leave Yomchiir school, the children sing “We are the future of the new Sudan.” And they are. These bright, happy faces who have lived their entire lives in war are now seeing the benefits of peace and education. They are the future of the new Sudan - and the future of the new sudan deserves quality education for all.