Southern Sudan is emerging from a 20-year civil war between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, there has been peace in southern Sudan, and this has allowed southerners to begin rebuilding. But the process is a difficult one; most of the infrastructure that existed before the civil war has been lost and many southern Sudanese who fled Sudan during the war have not yet returned.
Valentino's hometown of Marial Bai, in the Northern Bahr al-Ghazal state of southern Sudan, was burned to the ground repeatedly during the civil war. The perpetrators were the militiamen known as the murahaleen -- the same militias (now called janjaweed) who currently terrorize Darfur. When Valentino returned to his hometown in 2003, the community was struggling in poverty. There was almost no livestock, the one-room hospital was dilapidated, and there were practically no economic opportunities in the region. The small houses were made from mud and thatch—before Valentino left Marial Bai as a child, homes were commonly made in the more modern style of cement and metal. (The inexpensive and easily-constructed mud huts became preferable once murahaleen raids began coming regularly, destroying homes and livelihoods on a nearly monthly basis.) Now that there is peace, permanent homes are being built again.
The worst effect of the civil war in southern Sudan has been on the children, who—after witnessing so many atrocities—now have very limited access to quality education. The majority of children in southern Sudan do not even attend primary school. Girls especially have few opportunities for education. For adults who missed out on their education during the civil war, there are no ways to obtain vocational training. Where schools do exist, they are usually lacking in resources. Many schools consist of just students and a teacher sitting under a tree. Materials and academic supplies—not to mention trained teachers—are scarce. However, the people of southern Sudan are committed to rebuilding their communities and supporting their children's education.
The first major initiative of the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, and one of Valentino's most vital dreams, is to create quality, community-oriented educational opportunities in southern Sudan, beginning in Marial Bai.
During summer of 2007, Valentino returned to Marial Bai to consult with the community and determine how the Foundation can best assist the people there. After meeting with dozens of community leaders, students, parents, government officials, and community groups, we concluded that the best way for the Foundation to support the community is through the construction of a educational center. Working closely with the local community, the Foundation is building a large complex in Marial Bai, consisting of:
* a twelve-classroom secondary school
* a teachers' training college
* a public library
* sports facilities
* a community center
A newly formed committee of women leaders in Marial Bai has been organized to design community programming, with special emphasis on increasing girls’ enrollment in school through mentoring, tutoring, and parent outreach. Vocational training and literacy classes will be offered for adults who were unable to receive an education during the many years of civil war, and a microloan program will be established to help local business owners.
Valentino Achak Deng, co-founder of the foundation that carries his name, was born in Southern Sudan, in the village of Marial Bai. He fled Sudan in the late 1980’s during civil war, when his village was destroyed by murahaleen—the same type of militia that currently terrorize Darfur. Deng spent nine years in Ethiopian and Kenyan refugee camps, where he worked for the UNHCR as a social advocate and reproductive health educator. In 2001 he resettled to Atlanta. Deng has toured the country speaking about his life in Sudan, his experience as a refugee, and his collaboration with author Dave Eggers on What Is the What, the novelized version of Deng’s life story. As a leader in the Sudanese diaspora, Deng advocates for the universal right to education and the freedom of his people in Sudan. In 2006, Deng and Eggers established the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation to help rebuild Sudanese communities by increasing access to educational opportunities. The Foundation’s first major initiative is to create a viable and community-driven educational center in Marial Bai.
