wfn.org | Adventist School In South Sudan Attracts Notice

["Christian B. Schäffler" <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

October 30, 1999
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
http://www.stanet.ch/APD
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland 

Adventist School In South Sudan Attracts Notice

Arua, Uganda. (APD)    The Adventist Development and Relief 
Agency (ADRA) is doing a pioneering work in Sudan in many 
ways. Through the Middle East Union, the Seventh-day 
Adventist Church is running the only full-time staffed 
secondary school in South Sudan at the moment.

"It is a hard struggle, but with some funding coming 
through ADRA/Sweden, and some direct from the Middle East 
Union, we are making good progress," says Robin Willison, 
Programme director for ADRA/South Sudan. "We have been 
given a property of 3 miles by 8 miles to develop the 
school on. The school has been building up for the 
last 2 years and we now have about 34 buildings, though 
mainly made of mud walls and grass roofs. We started the 
year with 160 boarding students and we have a staff of 22 
at present."

Students in higher grades can choose between an academic 
stream or a vocational stream, learning trades that can 
fit them to earn a living and contribute to the development 
of their country.  All students have to work;
most of them working with the agriculture department 
helping to create a farm to produce food for school needs, 
and in time enough to sell to provide school income.

"We are seeking University of London certification so 
that students can have internationally recognised 
certificates," adds Willison.

The first group will be ready for these exams next year, 
and have called themselves The Pioneers.  The staff are 
paid very low salaries, but are continuing to dedicate 
their energies to building up the school.  All staff are 
Sudanese except the agriculturist who is Kenyan.

The school is beginning to attract notice in south Sudan 
Because the standard of the students is high. It is hard 
for many to fit into a schedule since their culture does 
not normally do this.  To have times for each activity and
to have to work when they do not feel like it is sometimes 
hard and some students leave because they cannot take it. 

"We would like to ask for prayers for our staff to continue 
in their dedication to the task, for our students to 
persevere in their studies and to do well, and for the 
resources we need to make this school a light set on a hill
 in South Sudan, setting an example of what people can
do under God's guidance.  Also we daily need God's 
protection in what continues to be a war zone," concludes 
Willison.