Dear all,
We are all living in very unsettled and rather frightening
times internationally. We do not know
what is around the corner whether in Europe or Africa.
From the point of view of my work for South Sudanese
children, their education is endangered.
This leaves aside all other essential aspects of their lives, such as
healthcare, regular meals, peace and development of their country, which look more and
more hopeless.
I worked with marginalized children in South Sudan for
twelve years from 2013, when things were still looking more positive. I have watched as the situation of the
poorest has become worse and worse.
Parents are completely uneducated and unable to earn enough to provide
food regularly let alone pay for their children’s education. The South Sudanese economy has collapsed so
that it is not possible to get money from the banks – even for those who have
accounts. (I stopped using a South
Sudanese bank years ago, fortunately before things got to the current pitch.) Corruption is rife and officials prey upon
the most vulnerable as well as institutions such as schools. As you know from previous posts, my school
was directly affected and eventually forced to close.
I am desperately trying to continue the education of at
least some of our children; the deaf, blind, disabled and those who completed
primary school in our school and need secondary education. All these students need a future. In fact they ARE the future of their families
and their country. From the first year
in which we had a primary school leavers’ class, 2023, our school had the best
results in the Nimule area every year. I
am immensely proud of that fact and you, as the donors who made it possible,
should be too. Other schools scraped by
with a lot of exam malpractice, but our students were highly literate, keen
learners who all passed really well.
They have high aspirations for the future. I cannot bear to let it all go to waste.
As if all these problems were not enough in themselves, aid
to South Sudan and Africa more generally is drying up. I see a very bleak future for our pupils, with
whom I have lived so closely and come to know so well. I have been told repeatedly by their families
that without my fundraising they would have been left completely without hope
for the future. This of course, means your kind donations, without which it could never have happened. Coincidentally, the
motto of our original school, Cece, was ‘A hope for a better life’. It seems very ironic right now.
I know the world is in a state of crisis and insecurity. This is causing governments
to prioritise weapons over international aid, and even small donors to hold very
tightly onto their purse strings. Please
can I ask you to go against the flow?
The school holidays finish at the end of May, and I do not
have nearly enough money to send all the children back to school. Of course, it is possible that the boarding
schools in Uganda may be delayed in restarting by the fuel crisis (I am only
guessing), but the schools in Nimule will not be affected. If that happens, there will be a breathing
space for fundraising, but otherwise I might have to prioritise which children
are most needy, which will be impossible as they are all in great need. Please help in whatever way you can.
Please feel free to contact me on rebeccamallinson1@gmail.com. I am always happy to answer any questions or
give more detail.
