A proud moment
Dear friends,
It is with great happiness and pride that I welcome the birth of my new nation, the Republic of South Sudan. After a very long struggle, July 9, 2011 marked the beginning of our independence. I have witnessed the day when my country and millions of my people are finally free; our future is now our own.
I’d like to thank you – the generous supporters and friends of the VAD Foundation – for your hope, for contributing to our movement, and for helping to bring about this moment in history. I received many joyful messages and blessings from you in recent months. You continue to strengthen my faith in the goodness of humanity and for that I am humbled and grateful.
When my team and I began the Marial Bai Secondary School project in 2007, the path to independence seemed long and uncertain. I am proud to say that today – in its third academic year – the school has become one of the most promising academic institutions in a free South Sudan. There are now nearly three hundred and fifty students enrolled and each one of them represents the hope that we feel now in our country.
I have spent the majority of this year overseeing our project activities in Marial Bai and across the region, and I am proud to inform you that we have made true progress. I have also had the honor of working closely with fellow leaders in my country and around the world to reach out to youth from all areas of South Sudan.
In late November of last year, I helped coordinate the Sudanese Summit in Nairobi, Kenya which brought together delegates from the South Sudanese diasporic community, student leaders, members of non-governmental organizations, and youth groups – including Girifna, a civil rights group based in Khartoum. Through lectures, group discussions and music, we advocated for young leaders to serve as agents for peaceful and sustainable development.
The Sudanese Summit proved to be a great success and the Government of South Sudan requested that we conduct these same workshops in the capital city of Juba in December. We invited youth from all over the country, including students from the Marial Bai Secondary School. It was an honor to work with many of the inspiring young men and women who will become our future leaders. At the end of the summit, we joined government officers in registering for and voting in the referendum – this action represented our final walk to freedom.
In March, I returned to Marial Bai to orchestrate entrance exams and admissions, induct new teachers, meet with the local ministry of education, reorganize the school’s academic leadership, and to help lay the foundation for our brand new boys’ dormitories. The school year began on the fourth of April and was celebrated with a community-wide welcoming ceremony for all students.
Outside of core academics, one of our main efforts this year has been to help our students develop leadership skills and engage in community service. As part of this initiative, we have expanded our extracurricular activities with the formation of a student government, drama and debate clubs, boy scouts and girl guides, social action groups, and sports teams.
It has been an exciting year for my country and for our organization, but there are still many challenges ahead. Recent events in South Sudan have driven up the cost of food, supplies, building materials, and fuel higher than ever before, adding great expense to our current program – we need your help.
The victory of independence will not solve problems of a devastated infrastructure overnight, but I am hopeful for the future. I have seen firsthand the opportunities that your support has provided for hundreds of young people in my homeland, opportunities that had been unimaginable only a few short years ago. Today, I ask again for your support.
I offer a most heartfelt thank you for your courage, dedication, trust, and kindness. Together, we will work to rebuild South Sudan and strengthen our global community.
Yours sincerely,
Valentino Achak Deng
Founder & Director
