Inside South Sudan, Seventh Days Round About, Juba (2024)

01/11/2023

President Joe Biden is facing internal revolt from some members of his Democratic Party over his unwavering support for Israel as it expands ground operations in Gaza and Palestinian civilian casualties increase.

The National Muslim Democratic Council (NMDC) sent an open letter demanding that Biden use his influence with Israel to broker a cease-fire by 5 p.m. Tuesday. Without a cease-fire, the advocacy group threatened to mobilize millions of Muslim voters to withhold donations and votes toward Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign.

NMDC includes party leaders from hotly contested states likely to decide the election, such as Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“We know for a fact that our community will make a difference in the battleground states,” said council chair Basim Elkarra to VOA. “Democratic Party leaders are paying attention, and they are afraid of what's happening, and they are sending messages to the White House that this is going to hurt our chances in 2024.”

Administration officials have advocated for “humanitarian pauses” to allow aid to reach civilians in Gaza but say a cease-fire now will only benefit Hamas.

Nearly 1.1 million Muslim voters cast ballots in the 2020 election, turning out in numbers large enough to swing the presidential race in key battleground states. Muslim Americans and Arab Americans have traditionally voted for Democratic candidates, but with thousands of Palestinians killed in Israeli retaliatory airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza, a shift may be coming.

A new poll released Tuesday by the Arab American Institute showed support for Biden has dropped among Arab American voters, from 59% in the 2020 election to 17% ahead of 2024.

According to the poll, two-thirds of Arab Americans have a negative view of Biden’s handling of the Israeli-Hamas war. The majority believe the U.S. should not send weapons and military equipment to Israel and should call for a cease-fire.

08/06/2023

Hate speech online can cause harm in real life.

Say No To Hate Speeches:

💠 Make your social feeds a no-hate zone.
💠 Check facts before sharing.
💠 Challenge hate by sharing messages of tolerance & equality.
💠 Support those targeted by hate speech.

08/06/2023

UNFP GAVE OUT OVER 600 DIGNITY KIDS TO RETURNEES WOMEN.

UNFPA South Sudan has distributed 641 dignity kids to returnees' women and women with disabilities.

The distribution is part of the response to the needs of returnees particularly women & adolescent girls, including those with disabilities affected by the Sudan crisis.

UNFPA South Sudan is in partnership with United Nations Mission in South Sudan, Hope Restoration South Sudan and government of South Sudan.

A post seen by Giirdit News did not spacified where exactly distribution took place.

08/06/2023

A CAMPAIGN TO VACCINATE LIVESTOCK IN EASTERN EQUATORIA STATE LAUNCHED.

Authorities of Eastern Equatoria State have announced launching of campaign to vaccinate and treat livestock.

The two-week exercise which commenced this week targets more than 160 cattle and small ruminants against infectious diseases.

The animals are expected to receive vaccines against common livestock diseases such as anthrax, contagious bovine ploral, black quota and hemorrhagic septicemia diseases among others.

The campaign is being conducted by the state Ministry of Animal Resources, Fisheries and Tourism in collaboration with the UN-Food and Agriculture Organization.

~ M - Fm

05/06/2023

BISHOP EMERITUS OF El OBIED DIED AGE 85

Bishop Emeritus of El Obeid Macram Max Gassis died in United states on Sunday, 4th June 2023.

Sudan and South Sudan’s Catholic Bishop Conference has announced that Bishop Emeritus of El Obeid Macram Max Gassis died in the United States on Sunday, 4th June 2023.

Late Bishop Macram was a co-founder and former Chairperson of Catholic Radio Network Board Director.

According to the Bishop Secretariat, Gassis continued to travel the world from his headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, serving as the voice of the people of the Nuba Mountains and South Sudan, and raising funds to build schools, hospitals, roads, and wells.

Despite his hill health, he has contributed diligently in the vineyard where God called him to serve his people. Condolences to his family, to the Sudan Catholic Bishops Conference (for South Sudan & Sudan), the Diocese of El Obeid especially to the people in the Nuba Mountains.

He was born in Khartoum, Sudan in 1938, and attended his early education at the Comboni Missionaries before joining a seminary in Italy. He was ordained a priest on June 28, 1964, in Verona, Italy.

Bishop Macram returned to his home diocese of El Obeid in 1965, and served as assistant Parish Priest in Wad Medani, expanding the work of the church and establishing new parishes throughout the region.

He served as a Chaplain at the University of Khartoum and also earned a degree in canon law from the Catholic University of America. By 1983, the Bishop had been appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of El Obeid and was ultimately appointed Bishop of El Obeid on March 12, 1988.

A former Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Bishop Macram testified before the U.S. Congress in 1988 about the human rights abuses committed by the Sudanese government against the innocent people of his country, including enslavement, air raids, forced starvation, and r**e at the hands of the government’s army.

Following this testimony, the Sudanese government brought criminal charges against him, and for years he was forced to sneak in and out of his country for security reasons. His death is a great loss to the Church and Comboni family across the world

~ Catholic Radio Network

05/06/2023

MORE THAN 300 HOUSEHOLDS RETURNED FROM SUDAN ARRIVED TO UNITY STATE.

Authorities of Unity State has reported another round of new arriving returnees from from Sudan to Rubkona county, Unity State.

Dr Joseph Manytuil, Governor of Unity State on Sunday received in his state three hundreds and fifty households of new Returnees displaced by the ongoing fighting in Sudan

The frequent influx of South Sudanese Returnees returning to Unity State due to the unfolding situation in Sudan has created a dire humanitarian situation in the state.

22/05/2023

SOUTH SUDAN TO RECEIVE LAW RAINFALL THIS YEAR.

A South Sudan weather forecast has reported that most of the areas across South Sudan are expected to receive less than 50 millimeters of rain.

The quarterly outlook indicates that a country will start facing law rainfall in June up to September.

Ogeth Ogul Majaok, forecaster says the dry conditions will be experienced all over the region.

14/05/2023

Only legends will not ask what is this.

08/05/2023

SUDANESE WANTS PRESIDENT KIIR TO MEDIATE SUDAN CONFLICT.

The Sudanese Special Envoy to S. Sudan Dafallah al Haj says the Sudanese people are demanding President Kiir to mediate their peace talk.

Ambassador Dafallah made the statement on Monday after briefing President Salva Kiir on the current situation in the Sudan.

Sudanese official says Juba remains a prime place for the Sudanese peace talks, due to its closeness to the hearts of the people of Sudan.

On his part, Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Deng Dau says IGAD, African Union and the United Nations have entrusted President Kiir a responsibility to bringing the Sudanese warring parties to a negotiating table.

President Kiir calls on the Sudanese waring parties to fully adhere to the agreed ceasefire in order to allow humanitarians reach the people trapped by the conflict.

Delegates from the two warring sides are currently in Saudi Arabia for pre-negotiations, aimed at opening up humanitarian corridors and provision of essential services to the Sudanese people trapped by the conflict.

06/05/2023

International News

TALK TO KICK START IN SAUDI ARABIA BETWEEN SUDANESE WARING PARTIES.

Representatives of two warring Sudanese generals are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia on later today to discuss terms of a cease-fire and mechanisms for allowing humanitarian aid into the country, U.S.

The U.S. State Department and the Saudi foreign ministry have helped organize the meeting, which would take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the Red Sea across from Sudan.

The two generals have agreed to cease-fires in recent days, but their troops have violated them.

The Sudanese army confirmed in a post on Facebook that its delegation left for Jeddah on Friday evening to discuss “specific details of the armistice,” which is aimed at “securing and creating appropriate conditions for dealing with the humanitarian situation of our citizens.”

A senior State Department official said the discussions in Jeddah would not include negotiations over the volatile issues around integration of the armed forces and chain of command that led to the start of fighting on April 15.

Two African institutions, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa, would take leading roles in the talk.

Since the conflict began, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and other State Department officials have been talking directly to the generals and trying to coordinate efforts with a partnership of countries with influence in Sudan called the Quad. Those are the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Britain.

The State Department said on Friday that Mr. Blinken had spoken with Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister, about the fighting in Sudan. Mr. Blinken thanked Saudi Arabia for helping get U.S. citizens from Sudan to Jeddah, and the two diplomats “affirmed their countries’ intensive collaboration on diplomatic work to bring about an end to the fighting in Sudan,” the State Department said in a summary of the call.

The fighting in Sudan has left at least 550 people dead and nearly half a million displaced, according to Sudanese government statistics and the United Nations. The actual number of the dead is almost certainly much higher.

Sudanese civilians and officials have been working with the United States and other foreign powers to try to get the nation to move from military rule to a civilian-run government, with democratic elections, ever since mass protests in 2019 led to the ouster of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the dictator of 30 years.

However, in October 2021, General al-Burhan and General Hamdan carried out a coup, subverting a transition process. Officials from the United States and other countries were working on a new agreement with the generals to get the process back on track, and diplomats thought weeks ago that the generals were ready to embrace the pact, but then they began arguing over how to integrate their forces, including over a timeline.

The chain of command was an issue, too: General Hamdan wanted to report directly to a civilian leader, while General al-Burhan wanted General Hamdan to report to him.

One of the last plans discussed before fighting broke out was a proposal that both generals maintain operational control of their own forces, and sit on an integration committee with a new civilian head of state, the State Department official said.

If the generals agree to allow a secure way for aid to enter Sudan, most or all of the immediate aid would come by ship to Port Sudan and then be taken overland to Khartoum, the capital, and other places. The United States would work with the United Nations on this process, the State Department official said.

Critics say the Biden administration should have tried to punish the two generals after the 2021 coup rather than working closely with them. U.S. officials say they and partners withheld economic aid and debt relief from the Sudanese government, and believed that would push the generals to support a transition to civilian rule and democracy.

When the conflict began three weeks ago, both sides thought they could easily win, several African officials said on Friday. But as the battle intensified, particularly in Khartoum, the rival parties appeared to accept that there was a need for talks. That realization motivated a flurry of diplomatic efforts by African governments in recent days.

On Tuesday, President Salva Kiir of South Sudan announced that the two sides had agreed to a weeklong truce and would name representatives to peace talks. On Thursday, General al-Burhan sent a special envoy to meet with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, in what officials said was among the first public signs that the two generals were heeding regional and global pressure.

Discussions also began about when and where longer-term deliberations about power-sharing or a meeting between the two generals could take place. The capitals of Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya were suggested as possible options.

On Friday, Kenya’s foreign minister, Alfred N. Mutua, said his country was putting together a plan that would bring the various political stakeholders to Kenya to discuss the future of Sudan. He said that the proposal was being shared with African, Western and Middle Eastern partners, and that he hoped the process would begin in three weeks.

“We do believe that the concept to work on African solutions for African problems and silencing the guns in Africa is very applicable at this time,” Mr. Mutua said.

But some officials still doubt how committed the generals are to long-term peace.

05/05/2023

40 WOMEN LEADERS TRAINED IN WARRAP STATE ON WOMEN'S ROLES IN CONSTITUTIONAL MAKING PROCESS.

At least 40 female leaders in Warrap State have benefited from a two days organized by South Sudan Women Peace Monitors and advocacy group.

The training aimed in promoting women's leaders communication, public speaking, as well as understanding their roles in the ongoing constitutional making process and elections.

The two-days event was supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Mary Awien, a state member of parliament representing Gogrial East says, the training provided them with knowledge in political engagements.

Awien is in position to disseminate it to the grassroot women.

05/05/2023

REFUGEES AND RETURNEES RECEIVED FOOD & NONE FOOT ITEMS IN NORTHERN BAHR EL GAZELLE STATE.

The refugees and the returnees who escaped conflict in Sudan to Northern Bahr El Gazelle State received emergency food and none food items at Kiir Adem, Aweil North County.

H.E Tong Akeen Ngor, Governor of Northern Bahr El Gazelle State has welcomed and wish refugees and returnees a safe stay.

Tong has encourage the refugees and returnees to remain patient and assured them that peace and stability will come back to Sudan.

Governor Tong who is also the State Chairman of Emergency Task Forces has directed all Services Ministers and the Humanitarian Partners to immediately rescue the emerging Humanitarian situations at the Reception Points in Kiir Adem, Majok Yith-thiou, Kiir Kangbek, Mayom Angok, Jaac etc with basic necessities.

The Governor pointed out that, the refugees will be relocated from reception areas to safe and secure places which will be identified by the State Government so that the concerned institutions and humanitarian agencies will deliver services to them.

All returnees should register and are subject to integration back to their communities across the State.

The items given to refugees and returnees includes Sorghums, Maize Flours, clothes, sugars, soaps, tea, utensils among other basic items.

05/05/2023

International News.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appealed for an end to the fighting in Sudan and international support for the Sudanese people that are facing a humanitarian catastrophe.

Guterres said during a news conference in Nairobi, Kenya. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, and humanitarian workers and their assets must be respected.”

Sudan’s Health Ministry says over 500 people have been killed and nearly 5,000 wounded since the fighting began in April.

The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration said this week that at least 334,000 people have been internally displaced by the fighting.

In addition to the 100,000 who have fled the country. The agency has warned the fighting could cause more than 800,000 people to flee the northeastern African country.

03/05/2023

KIIR & UN TO FULLY SUPPORT RETURNEES AND SUDANESE REFUGEES IN S. SUDAN.

S. Sudan and the United Nations have agreed to address the looming humanitarian crisis in S. Sudan as huge numbers of people continue to arrive from Sudan.

Early this morning, the humanitarian Minister and UN Chief in South Sudan have discussed with President Kiir on the living conditions of returnees and Refugees at the border areas.

In the Office of President Press post seen by RIAL MEDIA, the UN Chief Nicholas Haysom commended South Sudan for having generously welcome people fleeing the Sudanese conflict.

Humanitarian Affairs Minister Albino Akol Atak says S. Sudan is currently creating temporary transit centers for the returnees, before transporting them to their States of origin.

03/05/2023

NORTHERN BAHR EL GAZELLE STATE TO LAUNCH SEASONAL FARMING.

The Ministry of Agriculture in Northern Bahr El Gazelle State, Aweil is planning to launch the seasonal farming of the year 2023.

Anei Deng Akok is the Minister of Agriculture says climate changes is negatively affecting the farms every year.

Minister says Northern Bahr El Gazelle State is lacking agricultural machines, tools, seeds and water Irrigation System among others.

Anei have also discussed with Governor on the installation of 41 rain-gauges in Payams and Ministry Headquarters.

Rain-gauges will helped the Ministry to collects water falling and records the change over time in the rainfall depth.

In his remarks, Tong Akeen Ngor the Governor of Northern Bahr El Ghazal State urged the Ministry of Agriculture to extend serious campaigns to encourage citizens to cultivate massively this farming season 2023.

Governor Tong reiterated that his government commitment to support Agricultural activities as spellout in the state government policy.

Tong urged concerned partners to distribute the seeds to the farmers early in this agricultural season.

02/05/2023

MORE RAINS IS EXPECTED IN SOUTH SUDAN FROM JUN.

South Sudan has been put on high alert over the impending flooding in the second quarter of the year.

Researchers said the heavy rains, which are expected to start in June, may lead to a serious hunger crisis with less farm output expected to come out in most East African countries this year.

Nicholas Kerandi, the Head of Food Security and Nutrition at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said people of South Sudan should not get worry after all.

02/05/2023

JONGLEI STATE GOVERNOR SAYS CALM HAS RETURN TO JONGLEI STATE.

The Governor of Jonglei State Denay Jok Chagor says calm has returned to Jonglei State.

Chagor made the statement after he had briefed the President on security situation in his State on Tuesday.

Governor Jok also says people of Jonglei are preparing for the upcoming general elections, praising the population for the prevailing open political space in the area.

On his side, President Salva Kiir Mayardit has promised to support the government of Jonglei in addressing the challenges facing the State.

02/05/2023

INFLUX OF DISPLACED PERSONS IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES IN UPPER NILE STATE

The Relief and Rehabilitation Commission in Upper Nile say more than 25,000 displaced persons has arrived over the weekend.

Yohanis William Ojwok, the commission chairperson stresses that the influx of the displaced is putting pressure on available services and resources in the area.

Both local community, refugees and returnees fleeing the conflict in Sudan will be in harsh situation.

The minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management Albino Akol Atak has visited Paloch and Renk to assess the humanitarian situations.

02/05/2023

I PETER BIAR DO HEREBY APOLOGIZE TO PRESIDENT SALVA KIIR FOLLOWING THE COMMENT I MADE ON KTN ON MAY 4, 2022

Dear President Kiir,

Apology letter read;

I write this letter to express my sincerest apology to you in regards to comments I made on KTN one year ago touching on the person of Your Excellency. Over the course of the last one year, I have reflected on what I said. Although I am not sure whether my apology will satisfy you, I want to assure you that I am giving it freely without admonition of anyone. It is my conscience and convictions that are urging me to do so.

There is no excuse I can provide to explain away my transgression. This is not to disregard the genuine grievances I have against Your Excellency and elements of National Security Service (NSS) from your government. Indeed, my grievances are many and I have no doubt you are aware of them. I endured nearly two years of brutal and humiliating detention simply for exercising my freedom of speech - a right for which Your Excellency and the masses of our people fought for more than two decades to realize. And after being released from this unjustified imprisonment, your NSS agents still followed me to Nairobi, where I was undergoing medical treatment, and forced me into exile to lead a life of a refugee for the second time in my life. But even those grievances cannot justify what I said about Your Excellency. This is not only because of the position you occupy and your personal efforts in the creation of our nation, but most importantly because you are my elder and uncle. And according to our Jieng customs, nothing can ever excuse my wrongdoing.

My intention when I made those remarks was to hurt you. I wanted you to feel the same pain I felt. I wanted you to understand how much it hurts. But hurting you neither healed me nor brought me satisfaction of any kind. And while relatives and friends immediately implored me to retract my statement, my pride and anger prevented me. But I now realize that hurting you because I was aggrieved stemmed from a desire for retribution - the need to apply the ancient Jewish law of "an eye for an eye" from the Old Book, which can only make the whole world blind if taken to its logical conclusion. I came to understand that our people could be hurting each other because of the pain they might have suffered in the past. That is why vengeance is rampant across our society. And because of this, we are not allowing ourselves to heal, but only perpetuating the vicious cycle of grief. I have come to firmly believe that our country can only heal with genuine forgiveness, which cannot be coerced or bought. Rather, it flows effortlessly from a changed heart. As such, I beg Your Excellency to have a change of heart and to forgive my egregious offense.

This does not mean that I am ending my political and philosophical disagreements with your government. Far from it. For when Your Excellency and the masses of our people flocked to the bush and waged a war against Khartoum in which more than two million lives were lost, the leadership of the SPLM/A and the people of South Sudan wanted to bring forth a government that can elevate the conditions of our citizens. Our people fought and died to create a government that would un-lift the heavy and artificial burdens that Khartoum had placed on their shoulders - a government that would unite all tribes of South Sudan into a single indivisible nation, nurture their talents and provide them opportunities to pursue a free and dignified life, and afford our youth and the future generations of our country an "unfettered start, and a fair chance, in the race of life." The inability to create such a government after the triumphant birth of our Republic was the genesis of our differences.

The eruption of violent power struggle between Your Excellency and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar that devastated our country and subjected our people to unnecessary suffering, the failure to faithfully implement various peace agreements between you and Dr. Machar ending this violent power struggle, and the severe repression of the fundamental freedoms that our people won with blood, sweat and tears only intensified our disagreements. But we can debate those differences with civility, respect, and without personal insults or violent intimidation. And as my elder and President, you did not deserve the remarks I made. Regardless of whether you will accept my apology or not, I promise you that I will do everything within my power never to repeat this same mistake ever again.

I know that your anger towards me is great and I will completely understand it if you find it difficult to afford me the benefit of your mercy. All I can do is to acknowledge my error, beg compassion from Your Excellency, and hope that your heart will not remain hardened against your son forever. From the depth of my soul, I am sorry for the injury I have caused you. I truly hope that you are able to forgive and to let go of whatever bitterness Your Excellency may feel towards me. May God Almighty heal the wound in your heart and afford you the peace of mind that He gives to each and every one of us - even when undeserved - so freely.

With sincere and contrite heart,

Peter Biar Ajak, PhD
Washington, DC
Revive South Sudan United States of America

30/04/2023

........... PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT...........

A group of S. Sudanese artists announces to the public, fans and musical lovers that there is gonna be a free entrance concert on June the 16th 2023. You and everyone is therefore invited to turn up for the occasion.

* Title of concert: Nhier Concert
* Presented by: Magai Lok
* The venue: Freedom Hall, Juba
* Time: 10:00AM till late
* Entrance fees: Free ..... Free..... Free..... Free.

You are all welcome in advance to witness the day.

30/04/2023

38 PEOPLE SURVIVED IN A ROAD ACCIDENT BETWEEN JUBA & YIROL, LAKES STATE.

A vehicle carrying Mundari wrestling team has overturned after losing control between Juba and Yirol leaving 38 victims with bruised injuries.

11 of them sustained terrible injuries and 27 suffered an extraordinary series of minor injuries

The Source stressed that the victims who suffered seriously injured (11) will be boarded back to Juba for urgent medical attention.

People with minor injuries will as planned continue their journey with the team to Yirol town.

Good hearted man THon. Deng Makuak Barech Volunteered himself to cover the hospital bills .

30/04/2023

A TOP WINNER OF 2022 PLE SAYS SHE WILL NOT FORGET HER SISTER'S SUPPORTS.

A 17 years old Aduk Lual Awuol Ngong who emerged the best candidate in the 2022 South Sudan Certificate of Primary Education PLE says she would have been among other failed girls if her sister did not stood by her in her school time.

She will not forget the efforts her sister did just to ensure she is in school like any other girls of a wealth families.

Aduk says her elder sister stopped giving birth because of her.

" I am very happy for my sister who has stopped giving birth because of me if she was just producing, I would have remained at home or done other things without going to school.

Aduk also acknowledged the good teaching she had from her teachers.

She put straight to people that she will work hard to become a doctor in order to help others in future.

30/04/2023

International News

Hundreds of Americans fleeing two weeks of deadly fighting in Sudan reached the east African nation's port Saturday in the first U.S.-run evacuation, completing a dangerous land journey under es**rt of armed drones.

U.S. officials said American unmanned aircraft, which have been keeping an eye on overland evacuation routes for days, provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans more than 800 kilometers to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety.

The U.S., which had none of its officials on the ground for the evacuation, has been criticized by families of trapped Americans in Sudan for initially ruling out any U.S.-run evacuation for those among an estimated 16,000 Americans in Sudan who wish to leave.

U.S. special operations troops briefly flew to the capital, Khartoum, on April 22, to airlift out American staffers at the embassy and other American government personnel. More than a dozen other nations have already been carrying out evacuations for their citizens, using a mix of military planes, navy vessels and on the ground personnel.

25/04/2023

AUTHORITIES OF RENK COUNTY, UPPER NILE STATE CALL FOR HELP TO TRANSPORT THE STRANDED SOUTH SUDANESE AT THE BORDER.

The commissioner of Renk County of Upper Nile is calling on the national government to provide fuel to help him transport the stranded South Sudanese returning to the country from Sudan.

Commissioner Kak Padiet says South Sudanese and other nationals have started arriving to the border area since 21 of April after an armed conflict erupted in Khartoum.

He reports that more than 5 thousand South Sudanese are on their way to Northern Joda and will need transportation to Renk, then to Paloch.

Kak Padiet says many others are using their own means for transportation from Sudan.

25/04/2023

STUDENTS AWARDED WITH SCHOLARSHIPS BY BENJAMIN BOL MEL FOUNDATION LEFT JUBA FOR NAIROBI.

22 young South Sudanese students between the ages of 19-23 that were awarded scholarships by Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel Foundation left Juba for Nairobi, Kenya to further their studies.

The youngsters were seen flowing with emotions as they said their farewells to their parents and guardians.

Speaking at Juba International Airport, a sister to Paite Edward Kazi, one of the scholarship awardees, said she was extremely happy for the opportunity granted to her brother to have a better chance at life noting that they originate from a very poor family. She expressed gratitude to BBM Foundation and USIU-Africa for the scholarship award.

The students, 18 girls and 4 boys, all from different walks of life will be pursuing their university studies under fully-paid scholarships by Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel Foundation.

In collaboration with United States International University- Africa (USIU), BBM Foundation went through a rigorous and tough selection process to get eligible candidates for its 2023 scholarship program.

The criterion for this selection made sure that the awards were focused on children from displaced camps, disabled children and financially constrained but brilliant children.

The students underwent a series of training by professionals such as etiquette training, computer skills, emotional training and going through a series of medical check-ups to prepare for the new environment.

“I’m truly honored to have been one of the awardees and register my gratitude to the BBM Foundation and the founder Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel for giving us this opportunity to have a shot at quality education and better life.” Yar Rebecca Mayen one of the scholarship beneficiaries noted.

Amongst these students, 5 will be going to study pharmaceutical studies, 2 for data sciences, 3 for neurology and Bio Statistics, 3 for Information Systems and 3 for Software Engineering. The rest of the students have decided to pursue their degrees in different fields like Business Administration, Accounts and International Relations.

While there are many factors that deter many young South Sudanese from gaining access to quality higher Education in the country, lack of financial support is the major cause.
According to UNICEF, only 48% of the country’s population is literate, observing that South Sudan has the highest number of out-of-school children in the entire world.

Many issues prevent the educational infrastructure in South Sudan from reaching its full potential, including poverty, governmental failures, ongoing violence, poor health of its citizens, and inaccessibility to schools that are overcrowded, underfunded, and operated by
unqualified teachers.

May Rose Lotua, the Executive Director at BBM foundation appreciated the founder and chairman of the Foundation for touching lives and making the children proud.

The foundation has been supporting so many South Sudanese students over the years and many have graduated in different fields, some of whom are now business men and business women while others have gone on to work for the private sector, Government institutions, and NGOs.

BBM Foundation as well supports the education of children in primary and secondary schools.
The scholarship program is one of the initiatives that the foundation offers to strengthen the Education sector in South Sudan.

Dr. Benjamin’s love for education is something that has always manifested right from when he was doing his Masters’ Degree and his PhD. In both instances, he graduated with 30 of his students whose school he was sponsoring.

BBM Foundation strongly believes in empowering economically weak individuals to attain quality Education.

The Foundation focuses on 5 thematic areas: Education, Health, Youth Empowerment, Women Empowerment, Environmental Conservation.