With apologies to Jacob, we thought this post was live a week or 10 days ago! ___________________A quick post to say that Jacob returned from South Sudan in mid-July after a successful two weeks in Juba and Bor Town. We have details to share in the coming weeks, but here are a couple of quick snapshots. He saw family, met with government leaders about permits and construction plans, and worshiped with the Episcopal Church community. Thanks, Jacob!
This is Bior. He is 9 years old and lives in Bor, Jonglei State, South Sudan. He is a busy and active youngster who spends time with his cousin, Kuai, and enjoys playing card games.Five years ago he was injured during a rebel attack in South Sudan. His family had been struggling to provide good health care for Bior, and wishing they could afford to send him to school. For the last year, a supporter of Africa Sunrise Communities has been sponsoring Bior’s education with a monthly stipend for his school fees.“It is a great gift,” says Jacob Guot, Executive Director of Africa Sunrise. “This is the generosity and love we see so frequently from ASC supporters. I enjoyed visiting Bior this past January and am happy to report he is a positive young man and applying himself to his studies.” Jacob noted, however, that it is hard for Bior to fully understand why he is different from his classmates, and where his leg has gone.Jacob reports that Bior’s mother, too, is depressed and struggling to come to terms with her son’s injury and disability. The range of medical support, counseling, and occupational training in Bor is very limited at this time. While the city is calm and day-to-day business occurs, South Sudan as a nation is still under threat from intertribal fighting and civil strife. And, it is a country where nobody has escaped the past twenty years of conflict without some injury or loss.Having Bior in school is a great first step, but he would benefit from better medical care and a more stable lifestyle in Uganda or Kenya. Until Africa Sunrise Communities can complete its school and offer professional support services to its students, raising funds to sponsor students in boarding schools outside of South Sudan is the next best option.
Supporters looking for a special project to undertake, beyond the broader fundraising for our new school, please contact Jacob Guot to discuss how you can help Bior and a few other special needs children in Bor._________________________________________________________Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@africa_sunrise).
This is one of three blogs in a series, sharing highlights of my trip to South Sudan in January 2018. The series includes Part 1: Fortune, Part 2: Family, and Part 3: Future. Thank you for sharing this journey with me! ~JacobThe second important group of people I met was my own family. When I was a small boy, I had shared with my brother and cousins a dream I had experienced. I saw myself in a white collar, standing before my people as a spiritual leader. My cousins didn’t like my dream. They thought I should join the military or go into politics. No one in our family has ever been a pastor, they said. Even at my ordination, some were still objecting. So, how would they now receive me? (more…)
On September 19, 2017, Jacob was interviewed on Lexington Community Radio for the Bluegrass Refugee Radio Show. Jacob spoke about his childhood tragedies, his life as a refugee in America, and his identity as a Former Lost Boy. You can listen to the full show below:
