A Canadian and Global Citizens Project – Presented by Reuben Garang
Nancy Morris introduced our speaker for the evening, Mr. Reuben Garang. His presentation is to see if our club is interested in participation in a Global Grant to support a project that Reuben is working on. Reuben attended the University of Winnipeg and completed his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science [2006-2011] as well as a master’s in Development Practice (MDP) [2011-2013]. He has volunteered with Winnipeg Harvest – Public Awareness. Reuben is a member of the Environmental Professionals – Canada and Canada Recruitment. His employment / work experience has included African Refugee and Immigration Project Coordinator – Winnipeg Harvest [2007-2011], Research Assistant – Institute of Urban Studies – U of Winnipeg [2011-2014], Policy Analyst and Community Outreach Advisor – Government of Manitoba [2014-2016], Coordinator of Ethno Communities’ Resources – Immigration Partnership Winnipeg / Social Planning Council of Winnipeg [2017 – Present].
The project would build peace through youth education. South Sudan has a population comprised of 70% youth. 72% of school age children are not going to school. This equates to 2.2 million youth not having access to education.
The project was inspired by personal life experience. Reuben was one of the ‘lost boys’ of South Sudan, trained to be a soldier and forced into war. North Sudan has historically been the government (Islamic) while South Sudan was Christian initially, then years of war. Fighting was along tribal lines.
South Sudan is bordered by Sudan to the north, Ethiopia to the east, Kenya to the southeast, Uganda to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the southwest and the Central African Republic to the west. It includes the vast swamp region of the Sudd, formed by the White Nile and known locally as the Bahr al Jabal, meaning "Mountain Sea". Sudan was occupied by Egypt under the Muhammad Ali dynasty and was governed as an Anglo-Egyptian condominium until Sudanese independence in 1956. Following the First Sudanese Civil War, the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983. A second Sudanese civil war soon broke out, ending in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Later that year, southern autonomy was restored when an Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan was formed. South Sudan became an independent state on 9 July 2011, following 98.83% support for independence in a January 2011 referendum. It has suffered ethnic violence and endured a civil war since 2013.
South Sudan has a population of 12 million, mostly of the Nilotic peoples, and it is demographically among the youngest nations in the world, with roughly half under 18 years old. The majority of inhabitants adhere to Christianity or various traditional faiths. The country is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the East African Community the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and is a party to the Geneva Conventions. As of 2018, South Sudan ranks third lowest in the latest UN World Happiness Report, second lowest on the Global Peace Index, and has the third highest score on the American Fund for Peace's Fragile States Index. (Wikipedia).
More than 2.5 million people have been killed and millions more have become refugees both within and outside the country.
Reuben was a soldier, then a refugee in Kenya then found his way to Canada.
Reuben is organizing this project with the help and guidance of the Coalition of Advolution of South Sudan, Humankind International (two Somali men), Winnipeg Downtown Rotary Club, School for Peace in Wahat Al-Alsalam (est. 1977), Walking Building Project (one of the ‘lost boys’ that identifies students / families in the community to consider for support).
The project would provide financial support for identified students in the community to attend school to completion. As more of the youth population becomes educated, theoretically, there should be less killing, leading to eventual peace. Rueben has visited the refugee camps in Uganda, only getting in because the authorities believed he was a refugee. The authorities do not want outside aid for the refugees in the camps. There are 1.4 million refugees. This causes tension with the locals as they are all trying to survive using the same resources. This makes the environment at risk. The families tend to be headed by the mother or grandmother. The families are large, with eight, nine or ten members. The people that he spoke with were happy that he came back after finding a good place (Canada).
Moving forward the plan would be to support a few students (locally grade six is the equivalent of our grade 12). The parents would need to be involved as well. The project would use education as a tool to support peace. In his own life he has experienced family being killed. In 1991 his parents were killed. From 1991 to 1995 there were no children born into his community because 75% of all the heads of families were killed. Reuben found it hard to talk to someone about peace that has had family members killed, perhaps killed by others in the same refugee camps.
Q/A.
1.- Nancy Morris wondered if the Global Grant was for one camp or many?
A.- The Government of Uganda will not let you into the camps if you are trying to help those in the camps. You would not be able to build a new school for the program. The Global Grant would be used to support the education of identified students. They would attend schools that already exist to complete their education.
2.- Elaine Thompson asked if language is an issue.
A.- No, there is a common language.
3.-A. Nancy Morris advised that the grant would be under the rules of the World Community Service Committee. To be eligible for a grant, there must be a local Rotary Club working in support of the grant. Is there one?
A.- Yes, Rotary Club of Kampala.
3.-B. Nancy Morris also wondered how many students/ families would be involved in the Global Grant initially?
A.- Most likely 30 students / families. Support would be from Primary to Grade 6 [grade 6 is equivalent to our grade 12]. This would cost ~ $15 to $20 thousand per year.
4.- Janet Spence requested a summary of where these children would actually go to school.
A.- They would attend Uganda schools.
Bob Eilers thanked Reuben Garang for his presentation. The club will consider all the information given. Reuben was advised that a donation in his name would be made to ShelterBox.
