To: All Southern Sudanese Students in Diaspora

The illiteracy pandemics in Southern Sudan and other parts of Sudan is a reality known to the whole world.  The long civil war in the African history had shunted all kind f educational process in Southern Sudan for the last 22 years, and thus resulted in this widespread illiteracy.  The Government of Southern Sudan and NGOs are now in process of eradicating illiteracy in the region.  But given the enormity of the need and lack of resources, too many of our people are still not reached by this efforts and that call for everyone to get involved in the fight against illiteracy. 

There are no LIBRARIES in Southern Sudan and it will take a long time for the government of Southern Sudan to reach a point of setting up libraries due to lack of resources.  We Southerners in the Diaspora are doing our best in many ways to elevate the conditions of our communities, one family at a time and that is worth noting.   The efforts to eradicate illiteracy by the GoSS is a paramount step that deserves commendation from all Sudanese, as we know that our government is partnering with NGOs in building educational bases from grade schools to colleges in Southern Sudan.  Having that said, I also think that we in the Diaspora communities across the globe can help by starting simple libraries in our local states back in Southern Sudan. 

All Southern Sudanese in Diaspora currently attending high schools, colleges and recent graduates of all background have old books that are used up, and may be sitting on the closet somewhere in your residence; these books can help our people who are yearning for education, students and individuals seeking to enrich themselves need textbooks, nobles, and other types of books plus dictionaries in Southern Sudan.  Please take your used books to Southern Sudan; you’ll be helping our country in a fight against illiteracy and ignorance.   Your used books will worth more if you choose to take them to Southern Sudan so our people can benefit from using them.  Selling them for few cents on a dollar will not equate to satisfaction you will get when you see social coexistence and development in Southern Sudan few years down the road. 

You may be wondering where the books will be kept, and who will read them and other concerns regarding this idea.  But the bottom line is that we have to start somewhere, a famous quote states that “a million miles journey start with one step” and therefore starting a library with old mixed books can be a step.  Keeping the book safe and accessible to everyone will be a task delegated upon the local educational authorities in the region.  And it could even involve the office of Education Minister in the Government of Southern Sudan if we all response greatly to the idea and bring knowledge home.  Remember knowledge is power, and knowledge come by having access to information and information come from reading different kinds of books in order to get the world’s view of things.

There is a saying in Dinka that say “Göl ne yi nom” , it means that start at your end or your front, so I am traveling to my home state of Jonglei next year and I am taking about 10 books with me.  I am confident that somebody will read them, and that there will be a place to keep those books at the John Garang Institute of Technology in Bor.  So, imagine if we all take our books given our diverse field of studies, this can enhance the level of literacy currently emerging in the Motherland and that is worth trying. 

These books could also be a good resources for grade school teachers and local college instructors given the condition in Southern Sudan.  The lack of information and communication technology is greatly hindering much needed progress in all fields of education in Southern Sudan.  Therefore, I appeal to all you brothers and sisters in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and even other part of Africa. 

I am sure that our scholars can agree with me on this point, but if anyone have a better idea then please let us try to confirm the failure of one idea before we throw it away.   I have faith in our ability to seek and secure education as one of your brothers once famously stated that “education is my mother and father”, and so I know that many will embrace this idea without hesitation.    Thanks for your time and may God Almighty bless each and every one of you with wisdom to take courage and seek peace, reconciliation, healing, and progress toward development for our people and beloved country of birth. 

The author of this message is Daniel Leek Geu, born in Jonglei state, currently residing in the United States of America.  The Author is a student finishing a degree in Agribusiness and Applied Economics at North Dakota State University this December 2008. He can be reached at Daniel.geu@ndsu.edu

Mading de Bor “Solution for today and vision for tomorrow.”

By DANIEL LEEK GEU