Empowering Educators Initiative

Dear Friends of Ariang,

I am excited to report how HOPE is growing in Ariang, South Sudan!

This year is off to a wonderful start because of your generous support. Let me recap some of our accomplishments thus far that were only possible through you!

• 675 boy and girl uniforms were made in Kenya and transported to Ariang. A uniform is a powerful tool of establishing community, equality, and pride among students.
• 650 pairs of sturdy shoes were distributed as a result of our special appeal last December. With donations ranging from $5 to $2,000, we were able to purchase quality shoes from the non-profit, Because International. These Ethiopian made shoes are designed for rough African terrain and expand as the child grows.
• The school received new soccer balls and pumps to promote healthy exercise.  
• We equipped the school with needed school supplies for this academic school year: exercise books, pencils, pens, geometrical sets, and teacher planning books.
• All teachers received new professional clothes and five bicycles to be shared among those who live a long distance from school.

It is a privilege and honor to be able to give these gifts on your behalf. I wish I could accurately share with you their smiles and gratitude expressed! The morale at the school has been lifted in the midst of daily suffering in the village. The students and teachers at the school know that they are not alone in their pursuit of education and that there are friends over 10,000 miles away who are supporting and cheering them on! Thank you for helping Ariang community to carry on in their pursuit to reach their fullest potential.

These supplies and materials are surely making an impact in Ariang, but what HOPE for Ariang Foundation is embarking on starting next month is even more exciting. It has the potential to have a greater impact for many years to come. I am so excited to share about our Empowering Educators Initiative (EEI) that begins in May!

EEI focuses on improving the quality of education in South Sudan through teacher training, starting at Ariang Primary School. The program will:

• Begin with a cohort of six Ariang Primary school teachers (fellows) who, given proper training and tools, can be effective teacher-leaders.
• Fellows will come to Nairobi, Kenya during their school holidays in May and August 2018 for intensive training institutes led by our partner, Dignitas who has trained 569 educators in Kenya since 2011.
• In between and after institutes, fellows will receive one-on-one coaching from Elizabeth Deng to help them implement the new skills.

Empowering Educators Initiative will equip Ariang teachers to improve pedagogical skills and methodologies, meet the learning needs of their students, and ultimately transform the quality of education at Ariang Primary School.

[h5p id=”2″]

After our first cohort of teachers, we hope to grow and expand the program to empower more teachers at Ariang Primary as well as other local schools.

Will you join us as we roll out this exciting new initiative? Uniforms, shoes, and materials are important to address “the needs of now”, but equipping teachers with new knowledge and skills is what will have a long-lasting impact on student learning for years to come.

Please consider giving towards our Empowering Educators Initiative today!

•      $50 will cover one teacher’s visa to Nairobi, Kenya.
•      $100 will help cover one teacher’s transport to the training.
•      $300 will cover the training resources for one teacher.  
•      $3,500 will cover all expenses for one teacher to fully participate in the program.

Read more about our six selected fellows here! Each one is committed teacher at Ariang School. I am excited for EEI to unlock their potential to be great teacher-leaders. You can donate specifically for this program by following the donate link and writing the name of a specific teacher or just “Teacher Training” in the designed “special instructions” box at Pay Pal checkout. You may also make a donation by mail to the address below.

Thank you for partnering with us to make an even greater impact in Ariang!

With Gratitude,

Elizabeth Deng