"Kendita Corner" South Sudan Juba Public Library
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The Kendita Corner Fundraising Story
Beginnings of Kendita Initiative
Learning = Freedom. In South Sudan, many are imprisoned by the lack of opportunity to access education and health resources. According to the World Bank, 51% of the population in South Sudan is living under the poverty line. For this reason Leadership Development and Learning are critical to the healthy and successful futures of South Sudanese youth. Everyone, especially the next generation, has the right to a better future with access to education and security. Help us make this a reality in South Sudan. Meet the Kendita Initiative.
The Kendita Initiative is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization designed to foster leadership and entrepreneurial skills in young Africans. It was founded in 2020 by Nilson DaSilva, an American educator, in conjunction with Gale Moses, a journalist in South Sudan.
The program is a multilingual, personal, and professional educational program involving English language development, strategic life skills, employability, and local to global entrepreneur leadership skills.
The program uses Google Classroom to connect US-based mentors/advisors to students in South Sudan and Zambia. The students communicate and do their assignments using their cell phones. The class meets virtually once a month.
In March of 2021 the Juba Public Peace Library in South Sudan agreed to offer physical space in the library for the Kendita Initiative to provide young multilingual African youth leaders an opportunity to become productive, self-sustaining adults through continued learning opportunities. This space will be called the Kendita Corner. Kendita means “let’s learn” in Sudanese.
The Kendita Corner will be used by the students enrolled in the Kendita Initiative program and patrons of the library interested in the Kendita Initiatives. This office space will be used for mentoring sessions and group meetings.
READ MORE
Why are we seeking funds
Over the course of the last year, we witnessed the hardships the students experienced due to the lack of common meeting space, reliable internet connections, and hardware. Our students were virtually connected, but physically isolated.
The first time our students were physically together was at the graduation ceremony of the first cohort which was hosted by the Library. The excitement was palpable. For the first time, we saw the value of the young leaders being together in the library.
Picture of the Kenditia Initiative’s first graduating class withYawusa Daud Kintha, Chairman of the South Sudan Library Foundation (left), and Gale Moses Azaria, Co-Founder/Country Manager of Kendita Initiative (right)
The benefits of having a physical meeting place where our students could come together to share their thoughts and their dreams were immediately obvious to us. It confirmed what we had thought was the missing piece of the puzzle. It was then that we realized we needed to find a way to make the space usable and welcoming to future multilingual youth leaders.
Currently, the Kendita Corner is sparsely furnished with temporary furniture.
Our fundraising goals:
To create a physical presence for Kendita Initiative at the Library
To provide a workable internet infrastructure
To create a place at the library where patrons can get life skill support - resume writing assistance
To provide the young leaders in Juba with a place where they can gather in-person to meet to share ideas, plans, and dreams
We will use the funds:
To equip the Kendita Corner at the Library with the office furniture and equipment required to support the goals of the Kendita Initiative including banners and printers
To install the physical infrastructure young leaders and library patrons require to connect to the outside world
To provide reliable internet service to the Kendita Corner so the young leaders and patrons of the library can access the internet consistently
To purchase five computers to be used by the young leaders and library patrons
To provide a meeting place for young leaders to meet monthly for the Kendita Initiative classes
To provide a monthly stipend for the Kendita Initiative Country Manager who will staff the Kendita Corner three afternoons a week
Water and snacks for Kendita Initiative participants and patrons attending Kendita Initiatives classes or programs
READ MORE
Some Background Information About South Sudan
South Sudan was established and recognized as a nation in July 2011, which makes it the youngest country on Earth. In December 2013, a political power struggle broke out, igniting the South Sudanese Civil War. It is estimated that 400,000 people were killed in the war. The most vulnerable members of society are often those most harshly impacted in times of war.
The United Nations has recognized South Sudan as a crisis zone and its priority of South Sudan is to rebuild a better future for the entire nation.
Background about education and skills training in South Sudan
According to a United Nation’s 2021 report on South Sudan Humanitarian needs, in the wake of persistent fragility and economic crisis, an estimated 3.4 million (51 per cent girls) school-aged children have a lack of or inadequate access to education services. in 2021. This is a slight increase from the 3.1 million girls and boys in need in 2020. In addition, there are 98,500 school-aged refugee children, of whom 18,000 children are out of school. The negative impact of COVID-19 and subsequent school closures have resulted in an increased number of youths in need of educational support. There are three dimensions to define the Human Development Index(HDI). The education dimension is measured by the mean of years of schooling for adults aged 25 years and more and expected years of schooling for children of school entering age. An estimated 57 percent of South Sudanese in-country are under 18 years old. With a considerable portion of the population below productive age, the burden lies with the working-age population to provide for a large number of dependents. An estimated 2.4 million children were out of school in 2020. Women and girls hold primary responsibilities for farming, collecting water and firewood, cooking, cleaning, and childcare. Men and boys are decision-makers for the communities and their families, particularly in the countryside. There are also a number of key supply-side barriers to education such as the lack of qualified teachers; a damaged education infrastructure; overcrowded classrooms; inconsistencies in the provision of teacher incentives; a shortage of learning materials; poor sanitation and water facilities in schools; the long-distance a child needs to travel to school; and little to no support services in schools for children with disabilities.
More about the South Sudan Public Free Library
The South Sudan Library Foundation was established in 2019 by Kevin Lenahan and Yawusa Daud Kintha and is the first public library to ever be established in South Sudan.
The library, located in Juba, is a flourishing community center and education hub where students of every age have access to books, study rooms, and power outlets to charge their devices, which can be a challenge to find in South Sudan.
READ MORE
Thank you
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/Ikendita
Website: www.kendita.com
Beginnings of Kendita Initiative
Learning = Freedom. In South Sudan, many are imprisoned by the lack of opportunity to access education and health resources. According to the World Bank, 51% of the population in South Sudan is living under the poverty line. For this reason Leadership Development and Learning are critical to the healthy and successful futures of South Sudanese youth. Everyone, especially the next generation, has the right to a better future with access to education and security. Help us make this a reality in South Sudan. Meet the Kendita Initiative.
The Kendita Initiative is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization designed to foster leadership and entrepreneurial skills in young Africans. It was founded in 2020 by Nilson DaSilva, an American educator, in conjunction with Gale Moses, a journalist in South Sudan.
The program is a multilingual, personal, and professional educational program involving English language development, strategic life skills, employability, and local to global entrepreneur leadership skills.
The program uses Google Classroom to connect US-based mentors/advisors to students in South Sudan and Zambia. The students communicate and do their assignments using their cell phones. The class meets virtually once a month.
In March of 2021 the Juba Public Peace Library in South Sudan agreed to offer physical space in the library for the Kendita Initiative to provide young multilingual African youth leaders an opportunity to become productive, self-sustaining adults through continued learning opportunities. This space will be called the Kendita Corner. Kendita means “let’s learn” in Sudanese.
The Kendita Corner will be used by the students enrolled in the Kendita Initiative program and patrons of the library interested in the Kendita Initiatives. This office space will be used for mentoring sessions and group meetings.
READ MORE
Why are we seeking funds
Over the course of the last year, we witnessed the hardships the students experienced due to the lack of common meeting space, reliable internet connections, and hardware. Our students were virtually connected, but physically isolated.
The first time our students were physically together was at the graduation ceremony of the first cohort which was hosted by the Library. The excitement was palpable. For the first time, we saw the value of the young leaders being together in the library.
Picture of the Kenditia Initiative’s first graduating class withYawusa Daud Kintha, Chairman of the South Sudan Library Foundation (left), and Gale Moses Azaria, Co-Founder/Country Manager of Kendita Initiative (right)
The benefits of having a physical meeting place where our students could come together to share their thoughts and their dreams were immediately obvious to us. It confirmed what we had thought was the missing piece of the puzzle. It was then that we realized we needed to find a way to make the space usable and welcoming to future multilingual youth leaders.
Currently, the Kendita Corner is sparsely furnished with temporary furniture.
Our fundraising goals:
To create a physical presence for Kendita Initiative at the Library
To provide a workable internet infrastructure
To create a place at the library where patrons can get life skill support - resume writing assistance
To provide the young leaders in Juba with a place where they can gather in-person to meet to share ideas, plans, and dreams
We will use the funds:
To equip the Kendita Corner at the Library with the office furniture and equipment required to support the goals of the Kendita Initiative including banners and printers
To install the physical infrastructure young leaders and library patrons require to connect to the outside world
To provide reliable internet service to the Kendita Corner so the young leaders and patrons of the library can access the internet consistently
To purchase five computers to be used by the young leaders and library patrons
To provide a meeting place for young leaders to meet monthly for the Kendita Initiative classes
To provide a monthly stipend for the Kendita Initiative Country Manager who will staff the Kendita Corner three afternoons a week
Water and snacks for Kendita Initiative participants and patrons attending Kendita Initiatives classes or programs
READ MORE
Some Background Information About South Sudan
South Sudan was established and recognized as a nation in July 2011, which makes it the youngest country on Earth. In December 2013, a political power struggle broke out, igniting the South Sudanese Civil War. It is estimated that 400,000 people were killed in the war. The most vulnerable members of society are often those most harshly impacted in times of war.
The United Nations has recognized South Sudan as a crisis zone and its priority of South Sudan is to rebuild a better future for the entire nation.
Background about education and skills training in South Sudan
According to a United Nation’s 2021 report on South Sudan Humanitarian needs, in the wake of persistent fragility and economic crisis, an estimated 3.4 million (51 per cent girls) school-aged children have a lack of or inadequate access to education services. in 2021. This is a slight increase from the 3.1 million girls and boys in need in 2020. In addition, there are 98,500 school-aged refugee children, of whom 18,000 children are out of school. The negative impact of COVID-19 and subsequent school closures have resulted in an increased number of youths in need of educational support. There are three dimensions to define the Human Development Index(HDI). The education dimension is measured by the mean of years of schooling for adults aged 25 years and more and expected years of schooling for children of school entering age. An estimated 57 percent of South Sudanese in-country are under 18 years old. With a considerable portion of the population below productive age, the burden lies with the working-age population to provide for a large number of dependents. An estimated 2.4 million children were out of school in 2020. Women and girls hold primary responsibilities for farming, collecting water and firewood, cooking, cleaning, and childcare. Men and boys are decision-makers for the communities and their families, particularly in the countryside. There are also a number of key supply-side barriers to education such as the lack of qualified teachers; a damaged education infrastructure; overcrowded classrooms; inconsistencies in the provision of teacher incentives; a shortage of learning materials; poor sanitation and water facilities in schools; the long-distance a child needs to travel to school; and little to no support services in schools for children with disabilities.
More about the South Sudan Public Free Library
The South Sudan Library Foundation was established in 2019 by Kevin Lenahan and Yawusa Daud Kintha and is the first public library to ever be established in South Sudan.
The library, located in Juba, is a flourishing community center and education hub where students of every age have access to books, study rooms, and power outlets to charge their devices, which can be a challenge to find in South Sudan.
READ MORE
Thank you
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/Ikendita
Website: www.kendita.com
Co-organizers (4)
Nilson DaSilva
Organizer
Cranston, RI
Ellen Hanley
Co-organizer
Janet Bowab
Co-organizer
Beth Golrick Toney
Co-organizer