Scholars filling major leadership roles in the community

Our SEP Scholars Are Filling Major Leadership Roles In The Community

Bany Akolda Achievements and The Story Of Roda – An Exceptionally Talented Young Girl of SEP

What is Bany Akolda?

Bany Akolda is Dinka for leaders of tomorrow. It is a leadership training that aims at enabling our SEP Scholars to develop ethical leadership, and proactive management skills. Also many young people do not have many career options. They know of medical, teaching, engineering, and aviation professions. We explore more professions and leverageable techonologies to help our Scholars increase their knowledge of the ever-changing world.

Why Is Bany Akolda Important?

Curious what this leadership training comprises, why it is important, and what change it will bring to the people of Ariang? Well! The training helps the students to develop 21st century skills including problem solving, critical thinking, determination, decision making, resilience, and more. We read books, analyze major themes and character traits of the books’ characters, then we pause and see how those fit in the context of Ariang and South Sudan.

Has this been useful? YES! | What are the indicators?

Our Scholars are now able to identify some challenges facing the community, figure out a low-cost solution, come up with possible intervention strategies, and push them forward (with some support from HOPE).

Any Clear Examples? YES!

Covid Training Project in 2020

Inspired by some of the lessons from the book ‘A Long Walk To Water’ By Linda Sue Park, Our Scholars led a COVID-19 awareness and preventative measures training in 2020. They set up hand washing stations at strategic points in all the 6 villages of Ariang and managed them effectively. They developed a training curriculum in their local language to ensure all members of the community understood all basic precautionary measures of the world’s new threat ‘-COVID-19’. This training was impactful and reached 790 households – close to 7,000 people of Ariang

The 2021/22 WASH Project

This year, we started our second book ‘The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind’ by William Kamkwamba of Malawi; and the Scholars have already mapped out a community project for 2021/22. Most families in South Sudan do not have latrines/toilets. The lack of these has been a major cause of many life-threatening illnesses especially among young children. The Scholars are developing a curriculum for training the community on the risks of lack of latrines and benefits of having one. The Scholars are strategizing a plan for constructing between 15 to 30 latrines using readily-available materials and HOPE is going to support them with a small budget for tools and iron sheets for roofing.

This project will eradicate many health challenges that come with lack of proper hygiene and sanitation. There are international organizations filling this objective but what is unique about SEP’s intervention strategy is that it is community-engineered and led and will likely influence a positive behavior change going forward.

You might remember Mary (left) and Rebecca (right). We have featured them in our past stories. This is them during the leadership training. Both were selected to lead their teams during the project timeline. Powerful upcoming female leaders.
We welcome you to contribute to this community project however you can. Make a donation here or click the picture to get to PayPal

The Story Of Roda – An Exceptionally Talented Young Girl Of SEP

Click the Roda‘s picture to donate via PayPal

30th July 2021

Self Introduction (In her own words):

My name is Roda. I was born in 2000 at Maker village in Ayien Boma. I’m living with my family which consists of my father, mother, four sisters and two younger brothers. My family relies on subsistence farming for its survival since my parents are poor and uneducated.

I started my primary school education in Nyieth Primary School in 2012. As I started my primary education, things were not easy since my parents could not afford school requirements but at least they afforded little. As I proceeded with my studies in that critical time, I managed to complete class 7 in Nyieth Primary School and I was enrolled in class eight at Ariang Primary School. Surprisingly, I observed many good things which included free schooling, free exercise books, school bags, and solar lanterns. I continued my learning in class and finally sat for the South Sudan Unified Exams. I happened to be the best female student in my school.

Then I applied for HOPE for Ariang’s high school scholarship and I luckily won it. As I am being sponsored for secondary school education, I am very grateful for it because it is a great gift that I never dreamed of and I’m very inspired to do better in school. I want to be a doctor to help people with various diseases in the years to come in my community and South Sudan in general. I am very thankful to Gabriel who founded HOPE for Ariang organization and I am grateful to madam Liz Deng for encouraging us to stay in school. Special thanks to supporters of SEP for paying secondary school fees for me and other SEP Scholars. Thank you.

Yours Sincerely

Roda

Roda and her sibblings at their home in South Sudan.

If you are inspired to fund Roda’s or one of the 15 SEP Scholars’ education, kindly let us know and we will pair you up (Send us a note through john.gitonga@hopeforariang.org).

Only a few Scholars are paired up. Annual high school fees and supplies range between $500 and $600 ($2,000-@2,400 for all the four years) payable in one-time, annually, or monthly – in parts or in full. We can be sending you updates, letters, and pictures of your paired Scholar. (Note: Schools increased fees this year because of many adversities caused by COVID)

Everyone is welcome to make a donation to the high school fund. Our first cohort is graduating next year. This program has become a reality because of our collective effort.

To Support: Follow the donate button above or send a check to:

HOPE for Ariang Foundation

P.O BOX 569,

Syracuse, NY, 13214