Faces of Success: Joseph Makuei Kuarang

This is the fifth in a series of profiles from students currently enrolled at Hope & Resurrection Secondary School. In May 2009, Form One and Form Two students wrote short autobiographies, sharing information about their families, livelihood and desire for education. We hope these glimpses of life in Southern Sudan will inspire you.

I am 19 years old. As I am still young, I haven’t married.

My father has four wives: the first has three sons, the second has seven sons, the third has six sons, and the last wife has five sons. At the cattle camp we have a lot of cows, and at home we have goats sheep and hens.

Early in the morning, I wake up and take the oxen to the field for grazing, and then I get my schoolbag and head to school.

On Sunday, I go to church, and after the prayers I come back home to read and calculate mathematics.

When I complete school, I would like to attend university and study to be an engineer. I would like to help improve my community, and I think God will be with me in my education.

Faces of Success: Deborah Awut Mayom

This is the fourth in a series of profiles from students currently enrolled at Hope & Resurrection Secondary School. In May 2009, Form One and Form Two students wrote short autobiographies, sharing information about their families, livelihood and desire for education. We hope these glimpses of life in Southern Sudan will inspire you.

I am Deborah Awut Mayom, and am 16 years old. I live in Adol with my family – I have four brothers and three sisters. Some of them are married and some are students. Me and my elder brother Nelson are students of Hope & Resurrection Secondary School.

My home is so far from where we are in school, so I spend much time coming to school. I used to come very late, and even missed some lessons in the morning.

My favorite subjects in school are English, biology and geography. Actually, I want to be a doctor after completing my studies. Life is so good when you are an educated person, since education is the key to life.

Faces of Success: Abraham Marial Akech

This is the third in a series of profiles from students currently enrolled at Hope & Resurrection Secondary School. In May 2009, Form One and Form Two students wrote short autobiographies, sharing information about their families, livelihood and desire for education. We hope these glimpses of life in Southern Sudan will inspire you.

I am Abraham Marial Akech and I am 19 years old. I live in Rumbek East County, South Sudan. I have three younger brothers, John, Daniel and Matthew. John is in Primary 8, Daniel in Primary 4 and Matthew is in Primary 2. We all live happily with each other.

I always give them advice that they should put their efforts on education, because the time will come when illiterate people may not be considered as citizens of the country.

“Try to learn more and you will be good citizens who will heal Sudan, without discrimination. Then there will be no nepotism, decentralized ruling and other (issues) that affect unity and peace.”

My family keeps poultry and goats in Akot. They are helpful when hungry and can pay for our school fees.

I wake up early in the morning … and walk a long distance (about 40 km) to come to school at Hope & Resurrection. So long as our country is not developed, nobody can drive anyone to where he or she is going. Also, students aren’t helped by drivers. Our students are affected by the lack of transportation.

On Sundays, I go to church and then spend the afternoon with my family. They are proud of me, since I spend five days on schooling. I am excited to meet with my family on Saturday and Sunday.

When I complete my senior education I would like to go to university, but there are factors that could prevent that, like paying down my school fees. If I attended University, I would study to be an engineer, and to help my community in so many ways.

I praise Hope for Humanity for the support they have given Southern Sudan. I would like to keep their support on my mind until my death. I am so happy to receive schooling and studying. I have given my schooling to the hands of God, and I study hard to achieve my goals.

Support us, and we will rejoice in God’s hands.

Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement

A very important message from Jennifer Ernst, founder of Hope for Humanity:

The CPA and it's Effect on Hope and Resurrection Secondary School

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in January, 2005 between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army ending the longest-running civil war in Africa. Since that time, there have been violations of the agreement on the part of the Government of Sudan and it is widely believed that militias are being armed in the South by GoS in order to fuel conflict which appears simply as tribal feuds.

There are only 18 months left before the CPA expires: time is running out. If the peace agreement does not hold and there is a return to war, it is feared that this conflict would be more deadly than the previous one and the loss of lives would be tremendous.

All efforts to develop the South would be destroyed, possibly including Hope and Resurrection Secondary School. The mission of the school is to educate the future leaders of the South and train them to be effective leaders in their communities and church. We have made great progress in just a short time. Future plans for the school include the addition of co-ed boarding facilities which would enable students to attend from all regions of Southern Sudan; uniting tribes and clans and offering a safe place for past differences to be reconciled and teaching the students how to live in peace and harmony as united Southerners.

The request is two fold:

(1) Make your voice heard. Tell our leaders that you want to see the US government do their part to insure Sudan remains peaceful. Please visit Sudan Emergency now for additional information, and spread the word to those you know.

(2) Please continue your support of Hope and Resurrection Secondary School. This school is making a difference in Southern Sudan.

Media Coverage of Archbishop of Sudan's Visit

Sudanese cleric visits Goochland

Published: July 22, 2009

By Ken Odor in the Goochland Gazette

Jennifer and Daryl Ernst have been involved in helping the Sudanese people for years. Last week they hosted the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan, Dr. Daniel Deng Bull Yak, and his wife Deborah Abuk Atem.

The couple stayed with the Ernsts for four days as the archbishop continued his visit to the United States. There are about four million Episcopal Church members in southern Sudan, said the archbishop...

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Read the full article here.