Justin lined up a radio talk show on Good News Radio. It included Justin, the head teacher, Jean and me. It lasted nearly 90 minutes. There were even call in listeners. It went back and forth between Dinka and English. The idea was to talk about education and culture using Abukloi as the model. The station is in Rumbek but the program was broadcast in their other 7 stations as well. Other than the room being absolutely suffocating, it was a good experience, a first for me. Today we had the privilege of meeting the new governor of Western Lake States, Solomon. He arrived on Saturday, just a few days ago. This would not have happened but Justin is a friend to the governor, a man much older than Justin, referring to him as one of his boys, like a son. Let's all pray that he does well in this position. Today is our last day in Rumbek. Tomorrow morning we fly on a UN flight to Juba. We have several things to accomplish there. Then we fly to the US on Saturday.

I taught a class on Monday. 16 students representing all four grades at Abukloi School attended. In the morning, I taught a class on health and sanitation with a focus on diseases common to South Sudan. Students had the opportunity to practice good hand washing techniques. We also had a brief review of human anatomy, and students were able to take each other's blood pressure and pulse. In the afternoon, I spoke about responsible sex and healthy pregnancy. Luckily, a local midwife helped me. It was a very lively conversation, and many cultural myths were dispelled. A pregnant woman who worked in the compound was kind enough to let us use her bell to listen for fetal heart sounds. The training was well received. Hopefully, it enlightened the students on healthy lifestyles and responsible sexual relationships.

Schools in South Sudan do not have science labs. Even universities here do not have science labs. This means students learn theory but not practical. When it comes to science , I am the least of these, so to speak. I talked to science teachers in the US and got some very helpful ideas. My suitcase had Borax, baking soda, vinegar, etc.plus copies of experiments I found on the internet. Armed with these resources I asked our science teachers to meet with me. We were joined by five more teachers from another secondary school. I was nervous that they would be disappointed that I know nothing about science. But the day turned out wonderful. The teachers embraced the concept of non-traditional experiments and they worked well together. My most memorable image was the teachers trying to catch a lizard. They had put a string noose on a stick and a group of three of them went chasing them, up trees and into cracks of the walls. Finally, one was captured, lions next. They really enjoyed dissecting the lizard. One of the teachers from the other school said, "I am having so much fun!"