We Can Do This Together
​
You’ve heard it said many times by now, We’re all in this together. While we are all facing challenges at a national and personal level, Abukloi needs you now more than ever.
South Sudan is just experiencing an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Orders to self-quarantine are in place. Schools and universities are closed. The government has banned inbound and outbound flights and mass gatherings.
While these measures are helpful, we want to be completely transparent with you about what the reality looks like for our Abukloi family. All schools and student micro-loan businesses are closed, food sources are scarce, and without your support, our teachers and staff may have to receive limited pay. Imagine having to self-quarantine where you don't have refrigeration to store food, don't have soap to wash your hands multiple times a day, household disinfectants are unheard of, and food supplies are limited. Drought has ravaged South Sudan's crops. Over one million internally-displaced people are already straining medical facilities. Most people in South Sudan are living with compromised immune systems and malnutrition.
Abukloi Foundation must continue to support our teachers, staff, and students during this crisis.
Updates on what we are doing to respond are below.
Our teachers and staff are pillars in the community. They speak the local language and everyone trusts them. They are on the front line in preventing the spread of coronavirus. Training in best practices, they provide calm leadership and guidance and teach healthy COVID-19 transmission prevention practices. Our school’s director is personally housing five students from another school who have nowhere to go.
They are all in this together.
Can we be there for them?
Your generosity can help us provide consistent financial support in these unpredictable times.
How can you help?
· Sponsor a student for $50.00 per month
· If able, donate your CARES Act check
· Pay a teacher's salary of $450 per month
We hope that you feel lead to give and pray for the safety of our teachers, students, and staff. We know many organizations need your support right now. We know your financial resources are stretched. Nevertheless, we hope that you will keep Abukloi in mind. Supporting our teachers will keep Abukloi strong during this most formidable challenge.
We will get through this by getting through it together.
Peace and Health,
The Abukloi Team
Winter 2020-21
As in many parts of the world, when schools will re-open is the big unknown answer. Although COVID-19 cases do not seem to be as high in South Sudan as in other parts of the world, the numbers are rising and variants are threatening to raise them even more.
Nonetheless, Abukloi is persevering. Schools were closed to all but Senior Level-4 students. A reduced teaching staff worked with these students on their core curriculum. In March 2021, they will all be ready to take the national exam to determine if they graduate. Through generous donors, we were able to provide a small daily meal to help teachers and students get through the 8-hours a day, 6-day school week.
​
As of early spring 2021, the Ministry of Education has not decided to open schools for all students. We are assessing our near and long-term options for providing services to the community while also being ready to welcome back our students when it is safe to do so.
​
JUNE 16, 2020
The national ministry of education has not made any decision on reopening schools. At this time, South Sudan has reported 1,882 cases of COVID-19 with 34 deaths. Most cases are in the capital of Juba, although several cases have appeared in Lakes State where Abukloi School is located.
Abukloi students are still meeting with teachers and receiving handouts to work from home. The main concern is that most of the girls will not make back because of unplanned pregnancies and marriages. The government of South Sudan has arranged for female students to receive educational incentives from Windle Trust International. WTI is an international organization funded by UK-AID which supports girls’ education in South Sudan.
In other developments, 45 benches have been delivered to the school. The benches were ordered in February using funds from school development fees collected from students. Now all eight classrooms are fully filled with benches. Besides agriculture, they have been busy clearing fields at the school with cultivation planned soon.
MAY 15, 2020 - A NOTE FROM OUR SCHOOL DIRECTOR IN RUMBEK:
Greeting to you all, I hope you are doing well in this terrible situation. I am so thankful to God almighty for the blessing bestowed upon every member of Abukloi as the whole is terribly threaten by the Pandemic. Our prayers shall always accompany you and God will keep protecting you to the end.
Back to us, we are very safe here in Rumbek, our country registered a total of 52 cases in Juba, Nimule and Torit. The learning program suggested by the national ministry of education is attracting so many critics from education partners and stakeholders. the learning facilities are not equitable to the learners. We are yet to receive an update from state ministry of education.
FYI, Abukloi SS have already initiated form four program in school, the teachers dealing with form four are giving learning materials designated for the lock down period. They are asked to be coming to school in a group of five students each session.
[Form Four is the senior class. They are meeting with the teachers in small groups to help them prepare for national exams which are still planned to occur soon. The teachers give some instruction and send the students home with handouts.]
MAY 1, 2020
​
South Sudan’s total number of COVID-19 cases rose from 34 to 45 on May 1. This is after 28 new cases were detected last Tuesday.
Dr. Akuay Cham, an associate professor at the College of Public Health at the University of Juba, called the one-day increase in confirmed cases worrying and indicates the virus is being transmitted locally as reported by the Voice of America. [https://www.voanews.com/listen/south-sudan-focus]
According to local newspapers, patients with COVID-19 are being treated from home due to a lack of medical facilities in the capital. As of this time, all cases seem to be confined to the capital Juba. No cases have been reported in Rumbek where Abukloi Secondary is located.
On April 9, the Ministry of General Education announced it was preparing a distance learning program for primary and secondary school students via radio and television. Education Minister Awut Deng said lessons for core subjects like English, Mathematics, and Sciences for primary and secondary school students will be delivered over radio stations and national television. [Reported by https://radiotamazuj.org]