SSSF students, 2 years later

Almost two years ago I met several students while working in Southern Sudan who were at the end of the line in terms of education. They were in only the Fourth Grade. This past week was the first time since the South Sudan Scholarship Foundation (SSSF) was founded that I have been able to reunite with some of these children and to meet some of our newest students.

For the past five days Jay and I have been staying with Acen, the caretaker of the SSSF students and the woman who first alerted me to the crisis these children were facing. Living with Acen is Sarah, one of our newest students and sponsored by the Mount Mansfield Winter Academy (MMWA) in Stowe, Vermont. She is a junior in high school and attending one of the most respected schools in Uganda. Jay, Acen and I were able to visit her school after weaving in and out of traffic and briefly getting lost on motorcycles. Sarah was attending another school under another sponsor but was dropped this past year. She was facing having to return to Sudan before SSSF and MMWA stepped in to provide her scholarship.

After our visit to Sarah's school we hopped back on the motorcycles, Jay comfortably wedged between myself and our driver (yes, three grown men on a dodgy Chinese motorcycle), and headed for Manasseh's school. This was an incredible visit for myself as Manasseh was the inspiration for SSSF as the face that first told me of the hardships faced by students in his shoes.

This day he walked through the door of the headmistresses office a new person. Strong, healthy and beaming Manasseh looks nothing like the hungry, sick and exhausted boy I met in Sudan. I spoke with his teachers, all of whom told me what a diligent and motivated student he is. We were only able to meet briefly but we will get to see him again soon after the next leg of our trip, Sudan.

(Manasseh [furthest to the right] with his new family:

[right to left] Sarah, Werro, Opio, Moga, Acen, Ocen)

Yes, we will be backtracking quite a bit when we leave for South Sudan (today or tomorrow depending on the status of our permits) but this is one of the most important parts of the entire journey. There we will meet with several NGO's to discuss their role in the development of Southern Sudan while also doing some legwork for SSSF.

This was a quick update as we have to run back to the Sudan People's Liberation Army's office to check our permits, but stay tuned for updates from Sudan and to hear the story of SSSF's newest and youngest student!