sudan

Sudan Christian School Builds Future Leaders

By Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada
In Loka, Southern Sudan
CWNews

CWNews.com – In southern Sudan the rebuilding process is underway after a long and bloody war. One of the top priorities in the minds of Southern Sudanese is educating the next generation.

Western ministries, like the Voice of The Martyrs in Canada, are lending them a hand. A Christian school is coming back from the ashes to build future leaders for Southern Sudan.

Loka is in Southern Sudan in the Eastern Equatorial province. To an outsider life here may appear to be returning to normal after the peace treaty was signed in January of 2005. But, for the people here, who have never known peace, the healing process will take years.

Southern Sudan suffered under the ravages of civil war for 20 years as they resisted the brutal ethnic and religious genocide by the Khartoum government in the north; it claimed over 2 million lives.

The majority of those killed were Christians in Sudan’s south.

Many Churches and Christian relief agencies were often specifically targeted for attack. The Khartoum government troops destroyed buildings, including the historic and highly regarded Nugent School in Loka.

As we discovered, back in 2001, Islamic government soldiers left the Nugent Christian Secondary School in ruins before fleeing the area. It was left in terrible shape and covered in grass and weeds.
The school and campus, founded by British missionaries in 1929, was at one time home to 2,500 students. It educated future pastors, bishops, government leaders and intellectuals.

Tom Zurowski has worked in Sudan for many years. He is the Director of the U.S.-based Global Response Network.

He told us that when he asked the community leaders and the people of the area what they wanted, the answer was very clear: Christian education.

Zurowski said, "When I first came, the southern Sudan I remember, we would go from village to village and ask people, what is your greatest need? And they told us, ‘The greatest need that we have is education. And not just education but Christian education’.”

Dickson Mutiso is the Field Director for the Nugent School. Mutiso is from Kenya and spends considerable time away from his family to coordinate the day to day operation of the school.

Mutiso has given up so much because of his desire to see these young people raised for Godly purposes. He said, "We want to see, one day, in the future, some great women and men of God coming out of the Nugent Secondary School, who are going out there to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ; to be very good and inspired leaders of this nation in future generations.”

Zurowski felt it was very important for the local people do the majority of the work in rebuilding the school and to take ownership. He said, "We want what the people want. We want to take this as far as the people want to take it. It's not our project, this is the project of the people.”

18-year-old Joseph Yugu is a student at the Nugent School. His scarred face is a reminder of a tragic event he went through as a baby. He was thrown into a fire by Muslim neighbors. He was badly burned on the right side of his face and blinded in his right eye. His parents were also murdered.

He explained to us, "My neighbors were no good, and they threw me into the fire. My sister is the one who take me, who take me out of the fire. So, at that time my parents died. So they took me to the hospital."

Joseph has had much to endure in his life, and it's been a difficult road, but he credits the Lord Jesus for getting him through.

Joseph is grateful for the opportunity to go to school and eventually wants to be a journalist. He said, "I like school because when I'm finished [with] my school I will get a job. I will help the people."

Perida Jokudu is now 20, and walks over 20 kilometers (14 miles) each day to attend school. She is excited for the chance to get an education and to be a part of helping southern Sudan rebuild.

Perida said, "By coming to school always, it will help me to become a good leader."

At 28, Sadraka Joseph is one of the older students. His goal is to become a full time preacher of the Gospel, and we found her at worship in the school.

He told us, "My father was a leader of Revival, and then when he died he left me alone in the house. One day, he conferred calling to me in a dream and said to me ‘Let me become a preacher like him’.”

There has been much to celebrate with the fast growth of the Nugent Secondary School here in Loka, Sudan. Educating these young people has been a joy. But there have also been many difficulties and challenges. Topping that list is getting quality, trained teachers into the school.

Tom Zurowski said, “People who have achieved any kind of academic, higher academic levels have actually left the country. They have gone to places like Britain, or Canada or the United States to further their education. But then, what happens is, many of them stay there. So we find ourselves with a very small pool of qualified people who can actually teach these students.”

Mutiso said, “This is the right time for them to come back home and try to help these children, who are very needy, and who have been neglected for a long time during the war.”

Not only has the main school been repaired and some of the buildings that house the teachers in the main school, but the chapel is in the process of being restored.

It's here, in chapel, where these young people are challenged by teachers and students to learn more about their relationship with Jesus, to live Godly lives, and take up the challenge to be the future Christian leaders in Southern Sudan.

The rebirth of the Nugent School is much more than just fixed-up buildings, it represents a new beginning in southern Sudan. We pray that this school is filled with peace and faith in Jesus.

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