ABIONG
ACHOL
AGNES
AGNES
AGNES
ANGELINA
ANGELINA
ANGELINA
ANGELINA
ANGELINA
BETTY
BETTY
BETTY
BETTY
BETTY
BETTY
BETTY
CICILIA
EDINA
ESTHER
EVELINA
FLAVIA
FLORENCE
FLORENCE
GRACE
GRACE
GRACE
GRACE
GRACE
HARRIET
HELLEN
JACKLINE
JEDIYA
JEMIMA
JOICE
JOICE
JOICE
JOICE
JOICE
JOY
JOY
JULIA
KANI
KEJIA
KHARMELA
LEYA
LILIAS
LOICE
LONA
LUCIA
MAILA
MARIAM
MARY
MARY
MARY
MARY
MARY
MARY
MEDIAN
MEDINA
MONICA
NEEMA
NEEMA
NUNAS
NYABONL
NYANWIIR
PASQUINA
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
RAHAMA
REBECCA
REKELA
ROSE
ROSE
ROSE
ROSE
ROSE
SARAH
SARAH
SARAH
SARAH
SEBILA
SUSAN
SUSAN
SUSAN
SUSAN
SUSAN
SUSAN
SUSAN
TALA
TERESA
TEREZA
TIKO
VERONICA
VERONICA
VERONICA
VERONICA
VICTORIA
VIVIAN
ZEINABU

Achol is getting a quality high school education because of the generosity of American friends. Your contributions to the Girls Rising Campaign are directly responsible for keeping Achol and 99 other girls in school. And when they graduate, your support will ensure these young women have scholarships to attend college and achieve their career goals.

Right now, you have the opportunity to leverage your investment in Achol’s education. From now until December 1st, gifts to ourGirls Rising Campaign are being matched up to 50% by our fundraising partner – Global Giving.

It’s easy! Donate online at:

www.globalgiving.com/projects/girlsrising/

Thank you, again, for helping make dreams come true.

P.S. Our 2010 goal is to double the number of sponsored girls. Please help us raise $50,000 to provide scholarships to Achol and 199 other girls next year.

There is a “Lawyer’s Hall of Fame.” Names appearing include Clarence Darrow, F. Lee Bailey, and Abraham Lincoln. Famous lawyers recognized on our television screens have been Perry Mason, Matlock, and pop culture favorite, Ally McBeal. I have not been able to locate a list of famous Sudanese lawyers. Yet. However, if I were looking into a crystal ball to predict the future, I think the name of one bright woman will be listed. Achol Deng.

Achol freely expresses her opinion. (Many teenage girls share that same trait.) She does not hesitate to question the status quo. She definitely embodies leadership. It doesn’t hurt that she stands well over six feet tall and naturally commands attention upon entering a room. My colleague, Diane, and I have said numerous times in the past, “she would make a good lawyer.”

While traveling in Warrap state to see Jimmy Makuach’s home area, deep in the heart of cattle country, we stopped in the office of a local village authority. Here they are called “payam administrators.” He recognized me. He reminded me that he was the father of an Africa ELI student. As I looked closely, I could see the resemblance of his daughter, Achol. What a pleasant surprise!

Of course, we talked about Achol, her performance at school and family matters. I asked him, “What is the biggest change you have seen in your daughter since she becamse a Africa ELI student?” He said, “She talks like you.” Translated, that means her English has improved. Actually, she didn’t even speak a word of English until beoming a Africa ELI student. She grew up speaking Arabic and has gained a strong control of the English language. (And if I have influenced her use of the words, “yee haw,” “darlin’,” or “y’all” then so be it.) But he sees the English language as her currency for success in the future.

When I asked him what he hopes his daughter chooses to become in the future, he replied, “I hope she becomes a famous lawyer.” No surprise there.

I think she can do it. And I believe she will do it. She’s closer now than ever before. In lieu of writing a love note to all the donors who help make it possible for Achol to stay in school, please accept this sincere, “thank you.” On behalf of Achol’s dad, Achol, and Africa ELI, we thank you for helping make dreams come true. I rest my case.

From Yei,
Anita

She runs a dispensary and teaching hospital. She teaches English classes. She has been caring for babies in South Sudan for 20 years. She is firm, yet gentle. She easily laughs, yet becomes teary when describing some of the traumas she witnessed during war-time in Sudan. She is a Catholic nun originally from India. She refuses to stay in expensive hotels when invited to lecture at special events. She carries a little purple purse.

“She” is Sister Gracy. She embodies the spirit of compassion. She is a mentor for many young women, and for men too. And she is a founder of the only fully registered nursing school in South Sudan called “Mary Help Training Center.”

Sister Gracy is the kind of person who makes me want to be a better person. Without propagation, she’s even the type of woman who could inspire me to want to attend mass at the nearest cathedral if it might help me live more like her.

In a short amount of time, I have developed a great deal of respect for this woman. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs or unbelief, Sister Gracy represents a vision for a brighter Sudan. If I could cast a vote for an annual peace prize recipient, she would be a strong candidate.

In 2010, we will be encouraging some of our Africa ELI students to volunteer at her community health center. I feel confident that the experience and knowledge they will gain from being under her tutelage will have a ripple effect. Just imagine how many people in South Sudan will be indirectly impacted by her wisdom and perseverance. Certainly it will be one more way for Africa ELI students to “build peace through education.”

Today I attended a drama presentation performed by local youth in the region. In fact, multiple dramas have been presented in the last two days as a part of the 2009 “Drama Festival” in Yei. I felt like a proud stage mom watching our Africa ELI-sponsored students show their thespian talents.

The theme of the drama festival was “Let Us Build a Democratic Nation through Peaceful Elections.” With national elections coming up in Sudan, the topic was quite timely.

In the play I watched, student actors educated the audience about the importance of being involved in civil society. Instructions about voting were given. The importance of obtaining a national identity card was stressed. Educating yourself about the candidates and their qualifications was demonstrated. Influence of the media, bribery, and election violence instigated by police brutality were also acted out. Advice was given: “Vote wisely. This is your chance to select the right leader.”

A mock election, with a big ballot box and and ink for thumbprints, was staged. Student actors portrayed all members of society lining up to vote. There were women and men, young and old, veterans, villagers, crippled people, expectant mothers, and all tribes represented. On this stage of theatrics, even a drunkard showed up at the ballot box to cast his vote. He offered a bit of comic relief for the playhouse.

Following the mock election, the votes were counted openly and a winner was announced. The “new President” gave an acceptance speech. In another comedic gesture, his first cabinet appointment was given to the losing candidate – “the Minister of Crime and Punishment.”

As a part of the President’s inauguration, a prayer was given by a female priest. In his inaugural speech, the President placed his hand on a Bible and said, “I want to execute my duties without fear in service to my people.”

I am no Roger Ebert, but I give this show an enthusiastic ink-stained thumbs up! Hats off to the creative young people for taking the lead role in educating a new generation of voters in an emerging civil society. I can hardly wait for the results.

Generally, in the Fall of the year (as defined by changing seasons in the heartland of America), it is common for me to be thinking about “football time in Tennessee,” upcoming holiday preparations, and questioning if any of the seasonal activities require me to dust off my stovetop or wipe away cobwebs from inside my oven in order to cook something. Colin says he usually thinks about the Yankees.

There is no typical “work day” for Africa ELI in Sudan. Our office is mobile. Essentially, wherever we are at any given moment is the location of the office. We are always thinking about our students, their retention in school, and their futures. Here is a bullet list of things that Colin, Diane and I have contemplated, analyzed, strategized or talked about in recent days. It does not reflect my traditional thought pattern for this time of the year. (Which is fine with me. No turkey basting is required for this list.)

Scholarships for more girls
Clean water and sanitation on campus and in the homes of the students
Student housing
Electrical power and generators
Food for the students & faculty
School supplies – paper, pencils, “slashers” (a type of sickle for cutting grass), etc.
The 2010 school calendar and Africa ELI work plan
Launching more GEM Clubs in other schools (Girls Education Movement programs)
Communication – phones, internet, hand-delivery of documents
Transport and fuel
Medical care for the students
NGO partnerships – strengthening the ones we have and developing new ones for greater impact
Local, regional, and national safety and security
Topics for the student radio debate program
Cows and dowries
Budgets for everything
In-country fundraising, as well as US fundraising
Expanding our Africa ELI programs in new schools and new states
Scheduling nap-time

For the Africa ELI Sudan team, these thoughts constitute our own Apollo mission to the moon. These thoughts drive us. They keep us up at night. They motivate us to live intentionally and with passion.

Random Fun Facts1 visit to a primary school built by a former NBA player
1 meal shared with a Prince
2 meetings with state governors
2 hours spent trying to download photos to accompany this blog – only to read “attachment failed”
2 monkey sightings on the road
5 modes of transportation – footing, boda boda, land cruisers, 7 ton lorry, and planes
5 hours in the car between Juba and Yei composing this list and singing show tunes & tv show jingles (“Here’s the story….of a lovely lady….”)
6 secondary school visits in two states
7 tents for accommodations
12 gazillion herds of cows & bulls
15 NGO partner visits
18 government meetings
20 VIP sightings – (Ventilated Improved Pit-latrines)
168 cups of coffee consumed
300 cows and 30 bulls offered as a marriage proposal

Last week I met with a group of teachers at a secondary school in Twic County. (“Twic” rhymes with “preach.”) As part of an assessment for Africa ELI’s expansion in South Sudan, it has been highly educational for me to visit other functioning secondary schools in recent days.The Twic school was in a very remote location. Arriving in a big 7-ton lorry, my colleagues and I parked underneath a tree and were immediately surrounded by kids. This is one of my favorite parts of the job. The smiles, enthusiastic greetings, and handshakes from the students always make visitors feel “at home” and “most welcome.”Following a round of introductions and tour of the campus, I settled in for a roundtable discussion with the faculty and headmaster. In response to my question, “what is your number one priority for the students at this school?” they responded simply, “Food.”Food security in this area is a real problem. The student population hovers around 600. Thirteen teachers teach 15 subjects. Many of the young people are IDP’s – internally displaced persons – returning home from camps sustained by humanitarian aid groups.

This makes a Africa ELI-sponsored school garden seem like a no-brainer. But until seeds & tools can be purchased for planting – and crops can grow until ready for harvesting – other solutions need to be considered. Calculations were done and the faculty suggested that 9,000 Sudanese pounds would go a long way toward feeding the students for an entire year. Blink.

For an equivalency of approximately $4,000 US dollars, they are saying they can feed over 600 people. Huh? Now, I have not yet done the research on this number for this area, but if this is the case, then it costs around $6 per person for food for the year. I’m inclined to think this is a monthly amount, rather than the yearly total, but I do not cease to be surprised in Sudan.

With all due respect to the Starbucks that I lovingly frequent in America, one less venti-flavored-double-shot latte a month could pay for a kid’s school meals here in far-away Twic County. This is something I will think about when I order my next cup of coffee. Or, better yet, the good people at Starbucks and other good java shops will read this and decide to expand their outreach to include the provision of meals for this group of kids in the African bush.

I choose to employ optimism as a strategy. Do you think it could work in this case?

From Twic, South Sudan,

Anita

P.S. The pics above are from Africa ELI gardens in Yei, South Sudan. The internet here was too slow to upload Twic pics. Hopefully I’ll have a better internet connection in coming da

Colin Nelsen has been with Africa ELIfrom Day 1 on the ground in Sudan. He has sweated with local laborers digging river sand to make building bricks; he has negotiated more deals regarding land, capital assets, and labor issues than he probably cares to remember; and I’m willing to bet that he has changed more than 250 tires in just this last year on trucks, land cruisers, motorbikes, and bicycles to help keep Africa ELImoving – literally. He has briefly traveled with me stateside trying to raise awareness about the importance of education in a post-conflict country like Sudan. However, independent from the accolades I could heap on him simply for being a great project manager, my respect for Colin grew yet again this last week.Africa ELI has a sponsored student who has recently made some poor choices. We can all relate to being a teenager trying to create an independent identity. Bless her heart, she is strong and smart, but partly a rebel. She is not a big believer in the status quo. (Her “scrappiness” will serve her well in later years I believe.) But at this moment in time, she has decided to test the patience of her teachers and other school faculty. We have experienced some challenges with her. She was expelled from one of the public schools for her behaviors.

However, because we are Africa ELI and because we have a unique group of people working with the Africa ELI-sponsored students, we will not allow this student to “get lost” in the bush of Africa. So, Colin began communicating with this girl’s grandfather and uncle – who serve as her guardians. Colin also called one of our Africa ELI partners – Health Net/TPO – to arrange counseling for this student. He picked her up and drove her to her first appointment with a counselor. Following that meeting and after multiple conversations with her grandfather and uncle, Colin arranged for her registration in a new school, giving her a fresh start and a second chance at achieving education. Today is her first day back in classes after being expelled.

And by the way, Colin made all these arrangements in the same few days that he was trying to repair two generators, organize supplies for a new rabbit hutch to be built at the school, and help me finalize some documents requesting more money to sponsor more girls!

Africa ELI knows this girl. We know her family. She sings like an angel. Her smile could provide enough wattage to light up New York city. She likes to read. One day, she would like to travel to Mozambique. Her favorite food is chicken – with french fries. She would like to become a health care professional – possibly even a doctor. Her grandfather and uncle are good men. They have attended school meetings. They care about this young family member and her future. They know – and we know – what she is capable of achieving.

If you are in America reading this story, and you have contributed to our Girls Rising Scholarship campaign, then you too are a part of this story. Africa ELI does not “assign” students to donors for various reasons. But we do KNOW the scholarship recipients and want our donors to feel assured that we are wisely investing your dollars into the lives of “our girls.” All of us are learning lessons along the way. Some days we experience great success; other days, we feel greatly challenged. On those days, it’s nice to remember that people care and second chances are available to help make things right.

From Juba, the capitol of South Sudan,
Anita