You have read about Africa ELI relocating its 72 students from Yei, South Sudan to safer locations after armed conflict broke out in July of 2016. But where, exactly, were those safer locations?
For the students who chose to remain in South Sudan, we enrolled them at six different high schools in and around the capital city of Juba. For those who feared staying in the country, we registered them in seven boarding schools throughout Uganda. In total, 13 schools hosted Africa ELI students during the 2017 academic year.
For 2018, we offered our students a choice: To stay at their present locations, or to come together again in one school. They chose to reunite.
Choosing which school has been a challenging process, requiring thorough research and careful deliberation. First, we identified 20 possible schools in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala. Then, we narrowed the list down to nine based on a detailed review of each one’s safety, teacher qualifications, performance record, and programming. Lastly, our field staff personally visited five locations, met with administrators, viewed the facilities, and made their recommendations.
After three months of discussion and discovery, we are pleased to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a top-notch boarding school located just outside of Kampala. This is where Africa ELI students are now located, and where they will conduct their studies for 2018. (We have chosen not to release the name of the school until each student is safely moved in.)
Our new partner school is well-established, has experienced teachers, and offers programming that reflects our own holistic approach to learning.
We hope to eventually return to South Sudan. Once a peace agreement has been implemented and upheld, we will be among the first to return home. Until then, with your encouragement and support, we will continue to educate South Sudan’s daughters and guide them toward leadership and success.
Our Mission
By providing access to education, Africa ELI prepares young women in South Sudan to become leaders in their families and communities, engage in business enterprise, counteract inequalities, improve health practices, and work toward improving society for the benefit of all citizens.
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