Passing on the Role of Executive Director

Greeting Friends of HOPE for Ariang, I send my heartfelt greetings from South Sudan!
At Ariang Primary School, students are finishing their school year and continue to take their studies seriously by having good attendance and promising exam results. In May 2017, the school marked its sixth year of learning in the building which you, our supporters, funded and the Ariang community built.

South Sudan, in its early infancy stage as a democratic nation, is still very fragile as it fluctuates between periods of peace and war. Her citizens continuously suffer when development and progress are hindered as a result.

And yet, there is this little school in a remote rural village that carries on in the midst of uncertainty and provides a glimpse of South Sudan’s brighter future.

We continue to invest in the future of South Sudanese youth because education is the only way to develop and change a country. I am encouraged when I meet Ariang Primary School alumni who are attending secondary school or even some who are beginning their higher education at various universities throughout South Sudan! Each and every student that leaves Ariang School Primary with knowledge and other life skills to carry them forward makes our efforts worth it!

Over the past year, I have recognized the need for help in continuing HOPE for Ariang’s work in South Sudan.

I couldn’t be more proud to pass on the role of Executive Director, to a former board member and my wife, Elizabeth Deng.

She brings passion, commitment, and leadership to the organization. As an experienced teacher, she is dedicated to helping Ariang School grow and thrive. With our family now based in East Africa, she is able to provide even more hands-on support to the school and oversight on future programs. Below, you can read about two new initiatives she is currently working on in collaboration with our Ariang School staff: Shoes and Teacher Training.

Please join me in enthusiastically welcoming Elizabeth as our new Executive Director! I am confident she will help further HOPE for Ariang’s mission in South Sudan of providing educational opportunities for all. As I step away from the daily operations, I will still play an advisory role to Elizabeth to allow for a smooth transition as well as be a guest speaker at requesting schools and venues.

Serving as Founding Executive Director will always be my most rewarding and proudest work. It has been humbling to see what can be achieved when a community, spread across the globe, comes together to support my dream of providing education to boys and girls in Ariang. Thank you for being part of the journey!

With Deep Gratitude, Gabriel Bol Deng