Hello, all,
I hope you are well and feeling blessed. It’s Father’s Day weekend; your kindness blesses these very vulnerable kids.
His name is Riek. This newest student at our residential school is 11, and they say his legs just keep breaking. Riek limped in on his stick last month and asked for admittance to the school. Our administrator, Philip, welcomed him immediately, giving him food, a school shirt, and a home. We are growing, and the first dormitory build (for girls) is underway, thanks to our generous grant by Doctor of Nursing Gloria Ann Evans!
We are getting Wi-Fi, already covered by a generous personal grant by the Tyler Coppage family. This Wi-Fi is to be set up on the school compound with our USAID-donated solar panels and laptop computer. It will allow the school to expand, stay connected, do crucial paperwork, and permit our students to be part of a weekly Peace Academy, learning conflict resolution skills.
The second need has not yet been fully covered, so we request your support to help retain Theng Tut Kach as our Africa UOCO Treasurer.
Theng, kind, capable and soft-spoken, recently earned his BA in Economics from the Catholic University of Juba. Now other NGOs and organizations are trying to entice him away from UOCO. To keep Theng on staff for his amazing full-time work, we are upping our financial commitment.
I cannot stress enough that without Theng, UOCO would fail. He is their treasurer, living in the capital but also acting as their Procurement and Disbursement Officer. Theng chooses and purchases much of the food and materials, which are shipped up the Nile River. Theng creates our invoices and deals with staff pay. He has a heart for children and visits the upcountry school often.
There is zero way we could replace Theng. Some of us are setting up personal drafts from our financial institutions to help buffer this $500 per month increase in our budget.
I am asking others—you—to donate more, or more often, so we can keep caring responsibly for these wonderful kids. You make the difference.
Remember, 100% of donations are sent directly to South Sudan!
Peace, real peace, for Father’s Day and forever.
Mary Grace
President and Liaison, UOCO (USA)