About South Sudan

• Sudan Rowan is an ecumenical/interfaith Rowan County-based coalition that joins hands with Sudanese partners in their efforts to achieve peace and sustainability.  The group is sending an entourage to the village of Aliap in the Pariang area of Unity State, South Sudan in late February to deliver school supplies.   Sudan Rowan will also finalize plans with village leaders on how to best further the village’s current educational initiatives.
• Aliap, Unity State is the home of “Lost Boy” John Madut – the inspiration behind the formation of Sudan Rowan.   In the late 1980’s Unity State was one of the most severely victimized areas of the mostly Christian and animist (traditional African religions.) South during Sudan’s 20-year civil war.   During the war, militants from northern Sudan’s corrupt Khartoum government attacked civilians due to conflicts over resources, civil rights, and control of oil supplies in the South.  
• Boys around 6-9 years of age in South Sudanese society are traditionally in charge of attending the cattle outside of their villages in “cattle camps.”  Many of these boys were working in the cattle camps as they saw their families and villages being attacked.  Thousands of boys fled the attacks and ended up in UN refugee camps in Ethiopia and then later in Kenya. 
• A Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between the Northern Sudanese government and an interim Southern Sudanese government in 2005.  Still, basic services such as water, schools and medical facilities are poorly lacking as massive reconstruction efforts must be untaken to overcome the desolation created by the war.   According to the Educational Ministry of the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) there are currently no plans to build a school in Unity State.

Villagers in the Pariang area of South Sudan prepare to travel long distances to gather water

Sudanese worshippers in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

Parents March in Girls’ Education Day in Unity State, South Sudan