Unleash the leaders: 400 girls in South Sudan

Dear Friends,

We were almost there! We were supposed to take off to South Sudan with our team and thanks to you we almost met our funding goal. But unexpected circumstances took us by surprise.

Our last update we were ready to go to South Sudan in February to begin implementing the Girls Student Leadership, HIV/AIDS Youth Program, Menstruation Management Workshop, Vocational Pad Production Program, drill our eighth water well, complete the last four classrooms at Tong Pagook Primary School, and plant two school community gardens.

But on December 15, 2013 civil unrest in the capital of Juba escalated into tribal and political violence that spread two days later to Bor, Jonglei State where our PESS offices and home of our South Sudan Director is located.

Daniel Majok Gai, our in country Director, his wife Yom and baby son Thon were caught in the violence and had to go into the bush to hide for safety. Daniel led 100 people to safety where they had to live nine days in the swampland without clean water and hardly any food to sustain them.

We, in the US, felt helpless as we made cell contact with Daniel and he described the violence and death occurring. PESS worked tirelessly with the US State Department during the Christmas season to evacuate Daniel and his family.   Daniel’s 10 month old son became critically ill and dehydrated and would not make it if they weren’t airlifted out. They caught a bush plane while under heavy gunfire at the Bor Airstrip to get the baby to Juba Hospital.

To hear and view more on Daniel’s harrowing escape, the following links are live for you to visit: NPR, CPR Colorado Matters, Al Jazeera America, and The Denver Post.

Daniel, Yom, and baby Thon are now safely in Nairobi. I joined to assist them in getting the family temporarily settled until things in Bor settle down and the villagers return.

Daniel is returning to Juba and Bor, South Sudan the end of March and will assess the schools and see how many villagers are there and how many students are able to attend school.

We don’t give up! We have been working in South Sudan since 2005 right after the signing of the CPA with constant challenges and keep going back and making a difference! We are serve 3,000 children and have made such an impact on girl’s education that the Ministry of Education came to visit Daniel and see if we could work together!

The culture is changing as the girls realize they have a right to education. It’s folks like you who are making the investment to help them make that change.

Let’s give the girls HOPE once again.   As they return from the refugee camps to their village schools, let’s give them the HOMECOMING PRESENT of Girls Leadership Development! After all, they are the future leaders of South Sudan and they want to lead the way to change!

With Gratitude,

Carol Francis-Rinehart
US Executive Director