View some videos about our refugee camp tutoring program and the students attending boarding schools, all possible thanks to the sponsorship money received from our donors:
Student Story #9 – Debaters
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan. Near the end of the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We located many of our former students and their families in refugee camps in northern Uganda and continue our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring for former students who remain in refugee camps. In spite of many challenges, our students are thriving.
Debate teams are very important in both South Sudan and Uganda. At St. John the Evangelist School in Pukuka, the debate teams met every Friday afternoon and it was considered quite an honor to be selected to be on a team.
The debate teams have continued at St. Kizito school as the students from St. John the Evangelist carry on the tradition of lively debates and discussion. According to our headmaster, George, the students are performing at a very high level in the debates and providing excellent challenges to their fellow Ugandan peers.
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support these clever debaters and all their fellow students.
Student Story #8 – Winie
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan. Near the end of the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We located many of our former students and their families in refugee camps in northern Uganda and continue our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring for former students who remain in refugee camps. In spite of many challenges, our students are thriving.
A quick story this week as we introduce Ropani Winie who attends school at Ediofe. Winie has a unique talent for drawing and wanted to share some of her pictures with all of you. She is very thankful for the sponsorships and the opportunity to attend school while being away from her home country. The challenges faced by these children are immense and their ability to meet these challenges in whatever way they can is a testament to their spirit and drive to learn and grow. As donors, we continue to give them hope as we stay with them through these challenges.
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support Winie and all her fellow students.
Student Story #7 – Joyce
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan. Near the end of the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We located many of our former students and their families in refugee camps in northern Uganda and continue our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring for former students who remain in refugee camps. In spite of many challenges, our students are thriving. This Advent, we want to share their stories to celebrate their achievements as they near the end of the academic year.
We would like to introduce you to Joyce Awate. Joyce was a leader and an excellent student at St. John the Evangelist School in Pukuka. When the war started, she and her siblings were sent to the refugee camp on their own, with no adult to accompany them. Can you imagine what this would be like? Completely alone in a refugee camp in a foreign country. This is the situation faced by thousands of South Sudanese children. And, it is very common in these situations for young girls to be lured into marriage as had happened to many of Joyce’s friends.
Knowing that Joyce had such great potential, our head administrator kept talking to Joyce and encouraging her to go back to school. She was very resistant at first, but eventually chose to return. When she did return, her interest in learning was renewed and, even though she started in the second semester, she has worked hard and has caught up with her peers. She is especially strong in math and is a natural leader who helps organize and lead group discussions.
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support Joyce and all her fellow students.
Student Story #6 – Stella, Susan & Winnie
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan. Near the end of the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We located many of our former students and their families in refugee camps in northern Uganda and continue our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring for former students who remain in refugee camps. In spite of many challenges, our students are thriving. This Advent, we want to share their stories to celebrate their achievements as they near the end of the academic year.
We are pleased to introduce to you three lovely young ladies: Yeno Stella, Susan Adare and Romani Winnie. These three students came to St. Kizito’s with many obstacles in their way. Winnie and Susan spoke Arabic at home and had not been in school long enough to master English before the war forced them to flee their homes and come to the refugee camp in Uganda. They could listen and speak English but comprehension at the primary four level was extremely difficult. Stella was able to comprehend a bit better but was a bit older when she started school for the first time at St. John the Evangelist in Pukuka so did not have a solid base for her education. They were all struggling greatly in reading and writing.
After the first term, a teacher was assigned to help them in reading at his free time. These dedicated teachers are willing to go above and beyond to help the students. In the last trimester, the most recent assessments have shown that they are all working hard and slowly improving.
Despite their slower academic progress, the teachers have noted that the girls are highly disciplined, very loving and interact with other children in an extremely positive way. It is expected that they will continue to improve and be able to catch up to the appropriate grade and age level.
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support Stella, Susan, Winnie, and all their fellow students.
Student Story #5 – Samuel and Ruta
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan (a small village near the larger city of Yei, South Sudan). During the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We have located many of our former students and their families about 50 miles south in refugee camps in northern Uganda. We have continued our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring in two refugee camps for additional former students. In spite of many challenges, many of our students are thriving – their families are grateful that we continue to walk with them. This Advent, we want to share their stories to celebrate their achievements as they near the end of the 2017 academic year.
This week we would like to introduce Samuel George and Ruta Kamala who are shown working with their teacher at St. Kizito Catholic School in Arua, Uganda. When Samuel began the school year, he struggled greatly in every subject. At one point, it became so challenging that he actually requested to be sent back to the refugee camp because he could not grasp the material. In addition, he struggled with personal hygiene and not being responsible for his school supplies. Because of his frustration, he was very aggressive and fought with many of his classmates.
As the parents and teachers discussed the situation, they joined hands to provide support and counseling for Samuel. His teachers gave him easier lessons so he could gain a sense of confidence and as he progressed, they slowly increased his workload so he could continue to improve but not get frustrated. He began to take care of himself and as he gained more confidence, he began adapting better to the classroom and his classmates. His character changed completely.
The teachers say that Samuel is now one of the most disciplined students in class. He is the best reader, and not only that, he loves to lead reading! His performance surprises even his teachers as he is now doing well in all of his subjects.
Ruta Kamala’s story is not as dramatic as Samuel’s, but is another success story for the children from St. John the Evangelist School in Pukuka. Ruta has a quiet, more introspective personality and is a very humble student. She exhibits great kindness to everyone she meets. She speaks English clearly and enunciates very well. She performs well in all of her classes and her very favorite subject is reading.
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support Samuel and Ruta and all their fellow students.
Student Story #4 – Moses, Levi, and Mandella
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan (a small village near the larger city of Yei, South Sudan). During the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We have located many of our former students and their families about 50 miles south in refugee camps in northern Uganda. We have continued our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring in two refugee camps for additional former students. In spite of many challenges, many of our students are thriving – their families are grateful that we continue to walk with them. This Advent, we want to share their stories to celebrate their achievements as they near the end of the 2017 academic year.
“The Cream of the Class”
This is the name given to these three students in grade primary 4. Meet Moses George, Levi Condition, and Mandella Agnas. These three boys have exhibited exceptional performance in all of their subjects and lead the class in every way. They proudly say that they have confidence and they aim at excellent performance.
As a testament to their resiliency and ability to work through tough situations, they actually expressed a fear of failure as they started school because they thought the curriculum looked too tough. They applied themselves and found that they could rise to the challenge.
George’s best subject is science and he would like to be a scientist. Levi loves mathematics the most and dreams of being an accountant. Agnas loves English, but he is very interested in being a doctor!
The head teacher at St. Kizito has stated that the boys are very intelligent and, according to him, it is rare for children from a war-torn background to be able to perform at this level in their first year of school. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they had been exposed to a solid learning environment during their time at St. John the Evangelist in Pukuka! Either way, these are the situations that continue to give hope to the children and their families as they anxiously await the opportunity to move back to their country.
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support Moses, Levi, Mandella, and all their fellow students.
Student Story #3 – Patience
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan (a small village near the larger city of Yei, South Sudan). During the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We have located many of our former students and their families about 50 miles south in refugee camps in northern Uganda. We have continued our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring in two refugee camps for additional former students. In spite of many challenges, many of our students are thriving – their families are grateful that we continue to walk with them. This Advent, we want to share their stories to celebrate their achievements as they near the end of the 2017 academic year.
The children being sponsored are attending two schools, St. Kizito Catholic School and Ediofe Girls school which is a government funded primary school. The children attending Ediofe have had to learn another language – Lugbara – as it is the primary language for the children in this area and in primary 1 – 4 at Ediofe, the classes are taught and the tests are given in the native language.
This lovely young lady, Patience, is an example of the adaptability of the children in learning new languages and adjusting to a new culture while attending school. Patience is first in her class despite the language barrier and has adapted well to this completely new environment. Her future continues to look bright and brings her hope and a lovely smile!
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support Patience and all her fellow students.
Student Story #2 – Jido
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan (a small village near the larger city of Yei, South Sudan). During the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We have located many of our former students and their families about 50 miles south in refugee camps in northern Uganda. We have continued our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring in two refugee camps for additional former students. In spite of many challenges, many of our students are thriving – their families are grateful that we continue to walk with them. This Advent, we want to share their stories to celebrate their achievements as they near the end of the 2017 academic year.
Our second student success story is about Jido David. Jido and Tiyo, whom you met in our first story, are classmates. They are both top performers in their class. Jido is the class prefect/leader of primary one. One of his strong characteristics is his excellent diction and his ability to articulate clearly. This helps him provide great leadership for all students in the classroom.
Jido also has a gift for painting and drawing. His teachers are working with him to enrich and enhance his innate abilities. There will be a painting competition this semester, sponsored by an insurance company in Uganda, and the teachers are preparing the students to participate in the competition. Both Jido and Tiyo have been selected to participate. Jido has a bright future ahead as he pursues his painting and takes on more leadership roles.
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support Jido and all his fellow students.
Student Story #1 – Tiyo
In 2015, Seeds of Wisdom opened a school in Pukuka, South Sudan (a small village near the larger city of Yei, South Sudan). During the 2016 academic year, many families were forced to flee the area due to violence. We located many of our former students and their families about 50 miles south in refugee camps in northern Uganda. We have continued our mission to provide education for the children of Pukuka by sponsoring 46 children into two Catholic boarding schools and by providing tutoring in two refugee camps for additional former students. In spite of many challenges, many of our students are thriving – their families are grateful that we continue to walk with them. This Advent, we are sharing the stories of some of our students and we hope you will consider supporting their sponsorship. Can you help us raise $3,500 in this season of giving? Every dollar helps us keep a child on the path of education!
This is Tiyo – she is a first grade student from Pukuka who is now studying at St. Kizito – a Catholic primary boarding school in Arua, Uganda. When she started school at St. Kizito, she was timid and quiet. (Can you imagine how you may have reacted to such a disruption in your life, especially at this age?) The teachers at the school could not get to know much about her initially, but by the end of the first trimester, she had begun to blossom. Her teachers comment on how bright she is and what her potential is. Tiyo’s performance in class this year has been exceptional. She has been leading her class in performance on most tests.
Tiyo is a very social, yet disciplined girl. She concentrates on reading books. She likes to help other students learn. She encourages her classmates, especially those who struggle. Tiyo does a great job of helping other students cope with learning difficulties.
Tiyo’s teachers have challenged her with grade 2 work and she does very well with it. Her work is neat and easily read by all. Tiyo says she wants to be a nurse when she grows up.
Gifts of any size are greatly appreciated and fully tax deductible. Click on the Donate button below for a quick and easy online donation. You can also contact SOW at info@sowsouthsudan.org for more information on how to support Tiyo and all her fellow students.