Well, here I go again - back to South Sudan!
This time Bev is not going due to health issues of her own and in her family. So I am going solo this time. But going solo is not the only difference. I will be going for just three weeks, not 2-3 months. Also, I will not be starting a school, but checking on the school and hopefully starting several other initiatives.
Much has happened since my last post, November, 2013.
Let me bring you up to date quickly:
The teachers who were hired last fall completed the pre-session in early December. They are the same teachers who started the school officially in February, 2014. That school is going strong with nearly 100 "9th grade" students. They have completed their first term and will be back in session next week, just in time for my arrival.
School uniforms have been purchased and the students will be wearing them proudly. Pictures will follow in a later blog.
Conflict within South Sudan started in December 2013 and continues to a lesser degree in some areas of the nation. Many of the IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) have been resettled in the Rumbek area. The conflict and the displacement of nearly a million people has led to food shortages. That situation is predicted to become a crisis within 6-10 months.
One of my goals this trip is to help the Community Committee develop a small farm on the 2 acres around our bore hole (well). We will need to finish the fence, secure hand tools and seeds, prepared the land, and plant the seeds. June is a good time to plant because of the rain. With the pending food shortage, the community is very excited about this experiment in agriculture. Once we work out the details on this smaller plot we hope to develop a much larger piece of property. Agriculture is one of the subjects in the national syllabus so this farm will be worked by both the community and our students.
I fly out of Dulles Sunday morning, June 8. Please keep me in your prayers. I will write more once I am in Rumbke, internet service allowing.
Marg Kutz
Abukloi means "We Can" in Dinka. We manage a secondary school and vocational training center in Rumbek, South Sudan, that provides essential skills and training for regional Southern Sudanese. This facility will also serve as a community center for the Rumbek community, providing a central place to come together and work at rebuilding their country and their lives. Abukloi is a non-governmental organization based in Virginia, USA. www.Abukloi.org
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