THE MARIAL BAI SECONDARY SCHOOL – Photos from our new school in Southern Sudan!
In May 2009, the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation opened a brand new high school in Valentino’s hometown of Marial Bai, Sudan. It’s the first fully-functional secondary school in the entire region, where after twenty years of war, students have had no other opportunities to continue their education.
Valentino designed the school and construction was completed in spring 2009. Classes started in early May. Thousands of students from near and far applied to enroll, and a pilot class of about one hundred students was admitted; more students and higher-level classes will be added as the school grows and develops.
To lead the school, a faculty of highly qualified Sudanese teachers was recruited from across Southern Sudan. Later this year they will be joined by teachers from other countries in Eastern Africa and teams of volunteer teachers from America, Canada, and Europe. Below are recent photos of the school and the students, taken by the Foundation’s associate director Greg Larson.
to keep it running and to expand the campus. To learn how you can help and
to make a donation, click here.
The 9-classroom facility is the first fully-functional secondary school in the entire region, where students have no other opportunities to continue their education.
The Marial Bai Secondary School is the first phase of the Foundation’s initiative to create a viable and community-driven educational center in Marial Bai, comprising the school, a library, a teacher-training college, sports fields, and a community center.
Major emphasis at the school is being placed on providing girls with access to education. Currently, less than one percent of girls complete secondary school in Southern Sudan. Female students from Marial Bai are excited about the new school, and more than fifty girls applied to attend; but cultural and family pressures and the issue of early marriage deterred many of them from actually registering.
To lead the school, a faculty of highly-qualified teachers were recruited from across Southern Sudan. From left: William Atak Deng, Mabior Dau Kenyang, and Kuach Wieu Kuach. Later this year the faculty will be joined by teachers from other countries in Eastern Africa and teams of volunteer teachers from America, Canada, and Europe.
Students in front of the school timetable during a break between classes.
Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology classes are held in the Math & Sciences building, which features a brand new science lab. Below, students learn how to use microscopes and lab equipment for class experiments in Biology and Chemistry.
Below, a view of the Marial Bai campus complex. The meeting hall is on the left, the kitchen is on the right, and the school is in the background.
Construction is nearly complete on the school library, located on the main school quad, where learning resources will be available to the entire community and adult literacy classes will be offered in the evenings. In the middle of the quad, between the library and the school buildings, a central flag pole was erected for the Southern Sudanese flag. (Photos courtesy Jen Nicholson)
The Foundation is developing a teacher-training college behind the school, for aspiring teachers in the region. The teacher houses were constructed around a central meeting hall (below). Programs will bring together local teachers with members of the Sudanese diaspora and Western educators through collaborative teaching methods and symposia.
Below, students play a game of soccer after lunch. Plans are currently underway to build sports fields for soccer and volleyball behind the school.
The Foundation needs your support to help run the Marial Bai Secondary School and to finish construction on the library and girls’ dormitory. To learn more about ways you can support the school, click here, or visit our PayPal site below to make a donation.
