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World of Difference

Welcome! In South Sudan, your support is helping communities learn skills and giving children an education.

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Text graphic stating "South Sudan, World of Difference" in a blue, worn frame.

Welcome

Widespread poverty affects most of South Sudan, with many people lacking basic necessities, education, and healthcare. Inefficient traditional agriculture practices make communities vulnerable to climate change impacts like erratic weather, floods, and droughts. Rising prices are making the situation worse.

Even in the face of these challenges, your faithful and regular giving is making a World of Difference for families in South Sudan, training them with skills and providing opportunities for them to release themselves from extreme poverty.

Here’s how your donations are supporting families

Yellow world map with a blue location pin over South Sudan on a dark blue background.

Where is South Sudan?

South Sudan is located in East-Central Africa, bordering Sudan to the north, Ethiopia to the east, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the south, and the Central African Republic to the west.

Your impact in South Sudan

Slide 1 of 3: 77,351 people are part of our Transforming Communities initiative, helping communities to lift themselves out of poverty.

Slide 2 of 3: 84,260 people received lifesaving food, essential items and cash gifts, helping them recover from disasters.  

Slide 3 of 3: 240,378 children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers received lifesaving health and nutrition support across 72 clinics.

From school’s out to head girl

Your support is helping families to rebuild after fleeing conflict…

Young student stands with books in front of a classroom chalkboard.

Determined student, Poni, is rebuilding her future after fleeing conflict in South Sudan. Credit: Tom Price/Tearfund

In 2013, just two years after gaining independence, civil war broke out in South Sudan, triggered by a political power struggle, which escalated into ethnic violence across many communities. This caused widespread human rights abuses, hunger and displacement. After many peace efforts, a unity government brought relative stability in 2020.

‘In 2017, I was eight years old,’ says Poni from Kajo-Keji. That was the year when the conflict reached her community. ‘My family fled to Uganda. I was so young, I wasn’t able to carry anything.

When Poni and her family reached a refugee camp in Uganda, they found supplies were limited. ‘We were given food just once a month, and it was very difficult to get water.’

Poni’s education suffered because her parents didn’t always have enough money for school fees or to buy books and stationery. As a result, she missed many days of schooling while in Uganda.

Three years later, the conflict began to ease. ‘We heard that there was peace, so we decided to come back. But we didn’t find our home. All the houses had been burnt down. We slept under the trees for a month until we built a new home.’

Her local school had been burned down too. The nearest surviving school was two kilometres away, and it was too dangerous to travel there. ‘So I just stayed at home,’ Poni says.

But, thanks to support from faithful givers like you, and through the initiative of her local church, hope was stirring in Poni’s community…

Children sit on benches facing a blackboard at an outdoor mud brick school.
A group of South Sudanese children smile and wave at the camera, some holding school supplies.

Top: The local church set up a new school Bottom: Children enjoying being back in education

As soon as peace was established, Tearfund’s partners started to offer Transforming Communities training and support to the communities hit hardest by the conflict. This Bible-based training encourages local churches to actively respond to the challenges in their communities, using the God-given resources around them.

After another year without any education, Poni was delighted when her local church, inspired by the Transforming Communities training, established New Vision Primary School.

‘When I came back to school, I was so happy. Being home alone for a year made me feel very sad. I missed a lot of school. I was afraid I’d be left behind by my classmates.’

Portrait of a smiling young Black woman in a blue shirt, looking directly at the viewer.

Poni plans to become a nurse to help people in her community

But Poni didn’t let the missing years hold her back. In fact, she’s thriving.

‘I want to take care of people. I want to save people’s lives.’
Poni

‘The pupils elected me to be their head girl. When I heard that news, I was so happy. I want to thank all the Transforming Communities team, my parents and my teachers. I am so happy to be back in school.’

A young student writes examples on a chalkboard in a classroom, focused and determined.
Outdoor classroom setting with children learning under a tree, instructor using a chalkboard.

Top: Poni was elected head girl by pupils in her school Bottom: A primary school class sheltering from the heat under a tree

Far from being held back, Poni now has plans for her life and career. ‘I want to become a nurse,’ she says. ‘I want to take care of people. I want to save people’s lives.’

Thank you for your faithful, regular gifts. This is just one example of how you are enabling whole-life transformation, not just for girls like Poni but for whole families and entire communities.

Hope FM

Take a look at how remote communities are being reached by Hope FM, a radio station that promotes peace and unity in Kajo-Keji and surrounding areas. The collection features Julius, an avid listener of Hope FM's Transforming Communities hour, who goes to great lengths to tune in, walking several miles to listen under a tree.

Man walks down dirt road with radio in South Sudan, surrounded by grass and trees.
Man sits on a bench outside, listening to a radio with makeshift antenna.
Man with a radio and flashlight squats between trees, looking towards the horizon.
Hands hold an old "Perfect" brand AM/FM radio with a tuning dial and antenna.
Man stands next to Hope FM 89.6 banner with a satellite dish and house in the background.
Smiling man in vest with audio mixing board, microphone and a yellow graphic overlay.

Joseph, host of the Transforming Communities hour, shares life-changing messages at the radio station in Kajo-Keji.

Broadcasting hope

Hope FM is a radio station from the Diocese of Kajo-Keji. It broadcasts in English, Bari, Madi and simple Arabic. It’s a brilliant way to highlight the activities of the diocese and encourage peace and unity in Kajo-Keji and the neighbouring counties. But sadly, when the conflict reached the diocese in 2017, Hope FM was forced to close.

At that time, Joseph from Kajo-Keji fled with his family to Uganda. ‘When we were refugees, we found that life was so hard,’ he says. ‘I stayed in the camp until 2019. And in 2020, I decided to come back home.’

Man in a recording studio with headphones, vest and microphone.

Joseph presents Transforming Communities hour on Hope FM

With peace established, Hope FM was able to restart in April 2021. As well as playing worship music, the station broadcasts Transforming Communities hour every Wednesday at 7pm. After going through the training himself, Joseph is now the host of the programme and is keen to tell others about the life-changing results.

‘When I had the training, it really changed my life,’ he says. ‘I started making bricks. I now have around 10,000 to rebuild my home. I am encouraged when people are transformed because of the message I give them on the radio. I believe those people will also transform others. Because when two people in a community are transformed, the whole community can be.’

These are just a few examples of the amazing impact you’re having. Your prayers and giving are equipping local communities across the world, helping them to recover from conflict and displacement. Poverty is not God’s plan. You are. Thank you.

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Revisit previous destinations

You should see where else you're making a huge difference! Explore past updates and see how your faithful gifts are making a World of Difference.

See destinations

Your inspiring impact in South Sudan is just the beginning! The next World of Difference destination will be revealed soon…

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