Our mission is to generate the necessary resources to build a secondary school and community center in Aweil, Sudan.
Southern Sudan Project (SSP) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, whose mission is to generate the necessary resources to build a secondary school and community center in Aweil, Sudan. The organization was founded by William Bol Gai Deng as Southern Sudan Education to Lead Foundation in 2008. SSP is headquartered in Richmond, VA with regional representatives throughout the continental United States.
The focus has always been education, which is key to empowerment and self-determination. Since the declaration of independence in January 1956, Sudan has been at civil unrest. The Arab-led Khartoum government has reneged on agreement after agreement. The educational resources and institutions, contingent upon conversion to the religion of Islam, places the non-Islamic citizens at a disadvantage.
The southern region has been struggling with the marginalization of the youth, in particular. There are very few schools and most of those in existence are primary schools. These schools are only able to offer what is equivalent to a fifth grade level of education in western education system. Southern Sudan Project was created to provide the opportunity for the marginalized youth to learn and become a qualified contributor in the world economic system.
There are four primary methods of reaching our mission.
They are speeches, conferences, fundraising and community involvement. Through a well-planned strategy, the intention is to get as many people and other organizations involved for committed support. So far, it has proven very effective. Mr. Deng and the Southern Sudan Project have been invited to participate in many nationally-directed panel discussions and meet with political/civic leaders, who represent several countries throughout the world. Below is a clear explanation of how SSP uses each modality to reach the general public for support.
Speeches
Southern Sudan Project uses this tool of communication to educate the audience about the current social/sociopolitical condition of the nation of Sudan.
Although 2011 marks a formal cessation of North and South Sudan, the indigenous Sudanese still regard the country as one.
Also, Mr. William Deng shares his life story as a child slave in Khartoum to escape for his life on political asylum and the journey to America in 1999. It is a powerful testament to the power of will and the determination to live operable within inalienable human rights.
Furthermore, the speeches allow the opportunity for the audience to learn more about the Southern Sudan Project and how to support a great cause.
Conferences
Conferences are a very powerful and intentional way of disseminating information to a target audience. Since 2008, Southern Sudan Project has been a part of several conferences that focus on humanitarian efforts, resolution to the Sudanese conflicts, Pan-African research and scholarship, and global education. They include:
Sudanese Marginalized Forum Conference, Richmond, VA
The Opening of Molefi Kete Asante Instiitute for Afrocentric Studies, Philadelphia, PA
Marginalized Youth Leadership Summit @ VCU, Richmond, VA
MLK Day Freedom March, Ronceverte, WV
‘It’s Time for a Change’ Event, Orlando, FL
Conference on African Issues – Sudan in the World, Africa and Diaspora African Politics @ Virginia Union University, Richmond, VA
Fundraising
Nonprofit organizations rely on revenue that is generated through public and private donation. Southern Sudan Project is no exception. As visibility of SSP increased over the years, the amount of fiscal support has increased. Although we have not nearly reached the financial goal to cover the costs to build the secondary school and community centers in Aweil, the effort is made of persistence and determination.
Our fundraising efforts have been organized within SSP and with our community partners like Virginia Commonwealth University, United Methodist Family Services, Virginia Union University, Ronceverte Presbyterian Church of West Virginia, Save Darfur Coalition and Richmond Peace Education Center (RPEC). In the next few months, SSP will continue by hosting monthly events, partnering with regional representatives of Sudan in America, giving speeches and online campaigns.
Community Involvement
Just as SSP solicits the assistance of people and organizations, we love to contribute to the success of other organizations who have a community and humanitarian focus. In our three years, we have participated in academic, civic, sociopolitical and cultural community events. It is always a pleasure being face-to-face with existing and prospective supporters. There is an acute realization that no problem can be solved by one person. Unity and solidarity amongst the people are key to overcoming the struggles that we face.
SSP is constantly searching for opportunities to spread the word. If you know of any community events that we may participate, please contact us with the details.