“A MILLION MILES JOURNEY START WITH ONE STEP”

TAKE YOUR USED TEXT BOOKS HOME WHEN YOU FINISHED WITH COLLEGE OR EVEN HIGH SCHOOL
Sunday, 16 November 2008 14:45 Daniel Leek Geu, BGN Your Opinions - Your Opinions
Leek Geu

Leek Geu
“A MILLION MILES JOURNEY START WITH ONE STEP”

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 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Your Change Can Really Add Up

December 13, 2008 by theregman
Reggie Brown, NBC5 Street Team

Over the course of the last year ‘change’ has been on the tongues and minds of everyone in America. Right now in the spirit of the holiday season there’s an amazing way for you to help change lives across the world and help educate the people of southern Sudan.This time we’re talking about pocket change. Tomorrow, December 14 is the designated 24 hour donation day for PACODES’ library development project.

The goal is to raise $100,000, this may seem like a lot of money but they’re only asking each person to donate $1. Of course $1 is the minimum donation requested but you are asked to be as generous as possible. The great thing about this fundraiser is that it’s relying on the power of word and the concept of strength in numbers. If the word reaches 100,000 people and they all donate, the goal is attained and you played a vital part in enriching and educating someone who would not normally have that opportunity. Tell everyone, your coworkers, friends, family, the barista at Starbucks, the teller at the bank, anyone you come in contact with.

PACODES is a nonprofit organization that is determined to provide the people of the war and genocide torn Payijar region in Southern Sudan with a habitable and sustainable lifestyle. Right now, the focus of PACODES is building a library to help provide education and spread literacy to a part of the world that desperately needs it, a place where children actually want to go to school.This particular project has been underway for quite some time now and is still in the fundraising stage. With the combined efforts of the you, the supporters of PACODES and the rest of the world, we have the ability to supply a war torn and impoverished region of the world with the simple basic tools they need to provide education and empowerment for their people.



Check out these videos to get more info:
# Video #1
# Video#2
# Video#3

Give a little bit of your love and change tomorrow then give yourself a big pat on the back, you deserve it.

Log onto www.libraryproject.org and tell everyone you know. You’ll be glad you did.

Sudan library project accepting donations online

By Patrick Springer pspringer@forumcomm.com
Metro/State - 12/10/2008 Supporters of an effort to build a library in a remote area of southern Sudan that lacks electricity are turning to cyberspace to raise money for the project. The project, spearheaded by former “Lost Boys” in Fargo-Moorhead and their far-flung supporters, has scheduled a one-day online fundraiser Sunday to try to complete a $100,000 fund drive goal. To raise awareness for the campaign, supporters have been using social network sites – such as Facebook – YouTube pitches and mass email invitations, which they hope will be forwarded to a mushrooming network of contacts.

“They’re going all over the place,” Justin Machien Luoi of Fargo, a former Lost Boy, said Tuesday. “We’re just trying everything. We appreciate every dollar we get.” To get the word out, he sent e-mail requests to his 400-person contact list, and untold others have done the same. A special Web site, www.libraryproject.org, has been set up to provide information and take donations, by credit card or PayPal. “We’re taking advantage of technology, much the same as

the recent campaign, to raise funds,” said Joan Kopperud, an active member of Pacodes, a local not-for-profit organization that is working to build the library. “It’s the holiday time of the year when some people are looking for extra places to give,” she said. “If everybody does a dollar or two and this e-mail goes to 100,000 people, we’re right there.” So far, Pacodes – shorthand for Panyijiar Community Development Services – has raised $33,000 for the library project. More than 50,000 books were donated, and a carton of books soon will be packed for shipment to southern Sudan.

Luoi plans to return to Sudan – which he fled on foot as a boy in the midst of a civil war – in March to begin preparations for construction. A Chicago architect expects to have preliminary blueprints ready later this month. Readers can reach Forum reporter Patrick Springer at (701) 241-5522

Panyijiar Sports Tournament 2008 Concludes

Nuer traditional dance at the opening of the tournament ( Picture by James Kuony Kueth (Ganyliel, Panyijiar County, Nov. 2008)

December 1, 2008 – Ganyliel- Unity State

Last year the youths of Panyijiar County, Unity State, had their first sporting tournament in the post Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) era at home. The tournament which had six football teams and six volleyball teams took place in Nyal town - Nyal Payam, on November 15 and ended on the November 18^th, 2007. The tournament at the time was opposed by some community elders and parents who thought of it as too radical and threatening to the Nuer traditional cultures. The parents argued that it would spoil their children specially the girls. However, after the tournament concluded last year, the parents had a change of minds and hearts. They congratulated the youths and said the tournament was exciting and enjoyable than threatening. Thereafter, they gave green light to the youths of all genders to participate wherever and whenever possible.

Two volleyball girls teams fighting for a title (Picture by James Kuony Kueth, Nov.2008)

This year the youths of Panyijiar County did it again. Under the influence of Both Par, Tutbak Makuan Mar, Ruon Gatluak Yieh and James Kuony Kueth, the youths gathered in Ganyliel town - Ganyliel Payam to continue the practice. Even though the number of volleyball teams for boys and girls remained the same, the number of team players increased. Unlike last year, there were ten football teams. Moreover, there was larger crowd drawn from different Payams in the County, who keenly watched and cheered. At the opening of the tournament, Nuer cultural dance and short plays were performed. The events began on November 17^th but did not end until on November 29, 2008. The winning teams were handed trophies and certificates by former Panyijiar County Commissioner Joseph Nhial Ruach and former SPLM- County Secretary Gatkoi Bilieu amongst other elders and leaders.

The Champions of the 2008 girls' volleyball tournament (Picture by James Kuony Kueth, Nov.2008)

The tournament was once again an excitement for the youths who participated as it was to the crowd present. The youth leaders hope to improve the tournament for more youths to pick interest in the games and hopefully participate next year and the years to come.

By James Kuony Kueth, one of the youth leaders.

Cows Confiscated after Inter-Clan Clashes

1 December 2008 - (Panyinjiar) - Thirty people have been arrested after inter-clan clashes in Payinjiar County last week in which three people died.

Payinjiar county commissioner James Gatkoi Ter, said the accused will be tried in the county court under customary laws after the authorities have finished collecting cows from the their families.

So far the court has collected five cows from every suspect. He said the court has yet to decide whether the cows will be confiscated as part of their punishment if the men are found guilty.

Commissioner Gatkoi believes that he has the situation under control and that incidents like last week’s clashes will not happen again.

source of the news is sudanradioservice.org