Ayak Anguei Primary School Progress
Oct 11, 2010
One of Two Dormitories Completed Thanks to Your Help!
By Carol Francis-Rinehart - Executive Director/Co-Founder
Thank you for helping provide 52 girls at Ayak Anguei Girls’ Primary School in South Sudan build one dormitory! The village of Konbek, where the only all girls’ school in the area is located, also built a dormitory, so there are two of four completed!
Now 104 girls have a permanent structure to keep them safely in school. If there were no boarding facilities in a country where only 1% of girls finish primary school and less than 1% graduate from high school, the girls would have to return home each day to hours of grinding grain, fetching water, tending to siblings, cooking and vulnerable to early arranged marriage.
The two room dormitory is complete only waiting until the heavy rain season subsides around the end of November to add the final stucco. The girls are sleeping on the ground of the dormitories and are in desperate need of bunk beds and bedding.
As we continue to raise funding for another dormitory, we are also needing to furnish the newly constructed two dorms with bunk beds and bedding for 104 girls out of over 600 enrolled in Ayak Anguei Girls’ School.
So we are creating another project for you to continue your support in creating hope for these brave and proud young girls who are grateful to have the opportunity to go to school. In South Sudan, only 10% of girls, ages 7-14 go to school — the lowest rate in the world. (UNICEF) Research shows that investing in girls’ education helps entire communities prosper. UNICEF reports that educating girls can help decrease poverty, prevent disease, and lessen violence. When a woman prospers, her family prospers. When families prosper, communities prosper.
“We want to thank you for what you have done to help us and our school. We asked if we could have a modern dormitory instead of a mud and thatch roof one and you made our dream come true! If you please, we don’t have beds for sleeping so we do not have to sleep on the ground where it is wet from the rain and we get bit from scorpions. I am so happy for your help, thank you for that. I am happy if you still help us. I am in class seven and I am 13 years old. Most people agree that education is important for girls and women as it is for boys and men.” Yom Jime Bakit, Ayak Anguei Girls’ Primary School Student
Jun 2, 2010
Ayak Anguei Girls Dormitory Update Report
By Carol Francis-Rinehart - Executive Director/Co-Founder
Carol Francis-Rinehart went to South Sudan this past Jan-March and worked with the Konbek community where the Ayak Anguei Girls’ Primary School is and delivered over 300 book bags. The book bags were a project headed up by the women students of their Sister School The Women’s College, University of Denver. The precious book bags were filled with letters of hope and much needed panties for the girls.
While distributing the book bags, girls soccer uniforms and balls, Carol praised the girls for their efforts to stay in school in a country where only 10% of girls, ages 7-14 go to school. She was able to meet and interview several of the girls who shared their hopes and dreams.
Grace Adeng Deng is the first to raise her hand during math lessons. Math is her favorite subject. The teachers at Ayak Anguei have noticed Grace’s abilities and have high hopes for her. A few years ago, however, Grace wasn’t even attending school. This was because there was no school for girls in her village or surrounding area. The village of Konbek now works in collaboration with Project Education Sudan (PES) to help build the all girls’ school. Grace could not be a honor student if Ayak Anguei was not a boarding school. If she had to go home after school, she would be unable to tend to her studies due to having to fetch water, grind grain, and help tend to her siblings. The school has requested PES to please help them with funding to build two dormitories to allow the girls to stay on the school compound to continue their studies after school is dismissed. “If I am living in the school compound, I can get help with my studies from the teachers and my student friends. We needed a dormitory so we didn’t have to sleep in mud and thatch dorms or on the floors of the classrooms at night afraid of the scorpions and snakes. We are so very happy PES has been able to raise the funds for one dormitory this year!”
PES would like to thank their many supporters who have been making donations on Global Giving, making it possible for the girls to get another much needed dormitory. This rainy season, the girls will be able to sleep in safety and in bunk beds.
