Helping South Sudan
An 11-kilometre school commute is not remarkable in the Baw Baw Shire with students often travelling twice that distance by bus or car every day.
However, in an East African country which is only eight years old and still recovering from the ravages of decades of civil war, such a journey can be impossible.
Warragul resident George Oling has just returned from a six-month trip to South Sudan where he oversaw the dedication and opening of a new school near the township of Obbo.
George and his wife Medina spent a large portion of their earlier lives in refugee camps in Uganda following years of civil war in Sudan. They met, fell in love and were married in one of these camps in the early 2000s. George came to Australia in 2005 and Medina followed him a year later upon completion of a scholarship. The couple have six children – four of whom attend Chairo Christian College in Drouin.
George and Medina are directors of African Action International (AAI) – an organisation founded by Warragul couple John and Jean Leak. AAI is involved in developing projects to help communities and families rise above poverty.
George and Medina met John and Jean not long after moving to Warragul. As their friendship developed Jean and John were struck that despite the traumatic time George and Medina had endured, they were committed to try and help the community they left behind. Jean recalls George saying that the people from their hometown Obbo “were doing it very tough.” Jean says she never fails to be inspired by people like George and Medina. “Despite enduring what they did and seeing their region’s destruction, it’s remarkable that they want to return and help out.”
Like most of the country, the town of Obbo in South Sudan was nearly destroyed by civil war. Tens of thousands of people were displaced by the fighting and many people including George and Medina found themselves in refugee camps in neighbouring Uganda.
A degree of peace returned to the region in 2005 and in 2011 the people of South Sudan voted to separate and become a new nation. However, a huge percentage of the area’s infrastructure was gone. As people returned, they began to build huts and started farming again but a lack of clean water, medical facilities and schools made life extremely difficult.
Deaths from preventable disease and suicide due to the trauma of war have affected the area profoundly and sadly George and Medina have had friends and family lost in recent years.
John and Jean were inspired to establish AAI after sponsoring a child and visiting East
Africa in the mid-90s. Since that time AAI has been instrumental in helping build orphanages, schools, medical clinics and clean water projects in Kenya, Uganda and most recently South Sudan.
As John and Jean’s friendship with George and Medina grew, they realised the passion the couple had to improve things in their former homeland. The first thing they were able to do was (in consultation with the chief and local leaders) raise money to build a bore to provide safe water for the community.
The second step was to build a permanent meeting place where people could get together. After this was successfully established, the group focused on helping develop agriculture in the area. Scrub needed to be cleared and four oxen were bought to plough the land. This provided both food and income from what they are able to sell at market.
Following these initiatives, AAI teamed with George and Medina to commence plans for a school to be built in the community. George and Medina say that despite the difficult circumstances of being in refugee camps for many years that they were fortunate to receive an education. “Hopefully with the building of a school AAI can provide a similar opportunity to local children,” George says. “Education has allowed us to rise out of poverty and we hope that this school can do the same for others.”
They were delighted to be granted 500 acres from the local chief Jildo Odich. After much planning and work the school was opened on February 3. It is named Agape – from the Greek word meaning love and charity and is funded by AAI as well as some fees from the families of the students attending.
The school provides for 254 girls and boys – 213 of whom board during the term. The nearest settlement in Obbo is 11 kilometres away and the quality of roads and lack of transport make a daily commute for the majority of students difficult and dangerous.
Borders at the school survive on a diet of maize porridge, beans and vegetables grown nearby. Such has been the demand for a quality education the number of borders is far in excess of what George expected. “Our priority is to build more dormitory rooms,” he says. “At the moment, we have many students sleeping on the floor in the staff room.”
George and Medina travelled to Obbo for the school’s dedication and George only returned on March 2.
As the school becomes established, John, Jean, George and Medina’s long-term vision is for a medical centre, church and farm to be built. George plans to return to Obbo later in the year.
If you would like to learn more about the work of George and Medina and AAI visit africanaction.org.au.