Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Education

When we were in Nigeria, I used to tell supporters often that, "the best way to stop the cycle of poverty is through education". People can get behind that statement because they understand why it is true. After living in a war-torn nation this past year, I have come to expand that quote to say, "the best way to stop the cycle of poverty AND WAR is through education".

I was talking to a South Sudanese friend on the phone the other day and she told me that although war is not currently going on in Mundri, schools have not re-opened because the government isn't paying their teachers. I asked when she thought they would re-open and she said, "when the war ends". With countries like South Sudan, ending a war could take years.

This conversation stirred me up quite a bit because it made me realize one of the ways cycle of war continues for so many years in a country like South Sudan- children not having the opportunity to have an education. What I mean is, in a country that has a history of war, war becomes the only way people know how to deal with issues. Especially when you add in the fact that children live during war and don't have an opportunity for education. When they become adults and things get hard, the only thing they know to resort to is... war. When you are not able to read and reason on your own (due to a lack of being taught to do so), you resort to what you know and have seen your whole life. Also, when you do not have an education, access to good paying jobs is difficult.

Imagine this scenario: You are 20 years old and you are a farmer with a 4th grade education. Due to war, you are displaced from your land and no longer able to farm or earn an income. A respected man from your tribe approaches you with a job offer. He tells you that if you become a rebel and chose to go with him to fight, you will be payed. What would you chose to do? With South Sudan having a 27% functional literacy rate, there are not a lot of other options for most people. Quickly your options become going to a refugee camp (which typically involves walking by foot for days and with limited resources along the way) or fighting.

These difficult realizations have brought me to my knees this week. They have brought me to a place of praying for this to not be true for South Sudan. I have been pleading on behalf of children in Mundri and South Sudan in general- that despite the oppositions, they would somehow have the opportunity for education. I have been praying for teachers to stand against what is going on and volunteer their time so students can have an education. I have asked that we (and more willing teachers who will join me) will be able to return to Mundri soon so we can continue our work of training and building up teachers who love students and want to see them succeed.

Ultimately, it is God who breaks the cycles of war and poverty. He is the one who allows wars to end and new generations to stand against what their forefathers resorted to. He creates resiliency in His people and allows them to be healed and walk in that healing. Please join me in praying for the children of Mundri. Pray with me that they would somehow have the opportunity for an education. Pray with me that God would raise up honest teachers who are willing to sacrifice their time and resources for students to be educated. Hope with me also that we would have more teachers willing to join us on the mission field and that we would be able to return to Mundri soon to continue our work.





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