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When we arrived in Kurchi we found a woman who had just given birth. On her own, as is often the case here. Bishop Andudu asked if I had any pain killers. I gave her what I had. I also gave her my little bottle of Lavender shower gel and told her the smell may make her feel a bit better. She borrowed our jeep to travel to find her family and we walked to the primary school in 40 degree heat.
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Before we left, we were sitting down and suddenly a man standing next to us pointed a gun in the air and let off two shots. I jumped. I didn’t know it was a celebration of the new birth!
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At the primary school we met about 400 pupils. Some the usual age for primary school, others married. The civil war meant that education was stopped and in the Sudan you have to complete primary before you can go on to secondary school.
I showed them a banner I’d had made with the logos of all the companies and groups that have helped us so far.
(thank you Lam-Art) I also gave them some toys and a promise. That we would build a secondary school.
Without our help none of these young people will have any chance to complete their education. None of them will have a future.
The demand is huge. People are returning to the area since the peace agreement in 2005. New babies are born. Others could not go to school during 21 years of civil war.
There is no other secondary school in an area the size of England, which has 71 primary schools.
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Two of the pupils, Erwina Alamin and Abdalmajid Hassan, agreed to be interviewed. The young girl said she was very grateful that people far away were going to help bring a secondary school. She said she promised that the people there would not rest until the school was built and they would work very hard. She also said she wanted to complete her education and go on to be Minister for Health.
The boy said he wanted to become President and sort out his country.
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We had a meeting with the local government officials from the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, which controls the land since the peace agreement with the Sudanese Government was signed in 2005. Despite the guns and the posturing, they were actually extremely grateful for our help and very keen to give us their support.
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Then I saw a wonderful sight. 36,000 bricks – made by local people, (paid for with the kindness of everyone supporting the Grace Secondary School appeal) using the waters left over from the rainy season (which will soon dry up) and dung from cattle they’d moved close to the site – to get it for free! We went to the Grace Secondary School site (a huge piece of land that is being cleared ready for the start of building work.) And we measured out the footprint for the buildings. |
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I was very pleased to be able to capture the photography and video of the start of our dream, to build the school for these amazing young people. To help them build their own future. I was also honoured once again to meet the extraordinary people of this beautiful but very harsh country.
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Then it was time to return to Kadugli. The heat was extreme. The jeep broke down three times. I sat with my feet on the battery to keep it working. We changed a wheel. We drove through the swampy waters surrounded by wild pigs.
When we returned to Kadugli we drank Hibiscus tea and Bishop Andudu took me to have my hands painted with Henna. In celebration of the beginning of Grace Secondary School.
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