Hello, my name is Jackie Abiem.   I am an American citizen.  I came to the United States as a refugee from South Sudan in 2001 when I was 17 years old.  My country has been ravaged by war almost my entire life.  When I was eight years old, I was separated from my family during the Gilo River Massacre.   After I came to the United States, I was able to locate my siblings who had found refuge in Australia, Canada, and the United States.  Though my father died in the Second Sudanese Civil War, I learned in 2005 through social media that my mother is still alive and lives in the village of Aguok in South Sudan.  Now I am able to speak to her often over the phone. 

In October of 2020, catastrophic floods destroyed homes, crops, and livestock throughout South Sudan.  The people of Aguok had to evacuate their village.  Their homes and fields were under water.  There would be no harvest.  Their livestock had no grass to eat and nowhere to lie down; about half the animals died.  My siblings and I sent money to help my mother, but through our phone conversations with her we gathered that she was still suffering from a food shortage.  Eventually she explained that she was sharing her food with her neighbors, many of whom are relatives.  My mother is the only person in Aguok who has immediate family members living in wealthy countries; she refused to eat well when everyone around her was malnourished. 

Knowing that my siblings and I cannot afford to support my mother's entire village, I decided to tell my friends about this situation, hoping they would share their resources with people who are on the brink of starvation.  In December 2020, I was deeply grateful to receive more than $4,000 in donations.  I sent about $2,000 in January 2021 to be spent on emergency food rations and to dig a well.   In May of 2021, I sent another $2,000  for food, seeds, farming tools, and livestock.   

Today I am raising money for another well so that villagers do not have to walk a long way and stand in line for clean water and for more agricultural supplies so that they can have a bountiful harvest this year.  If you join my Facebook group, Abiem Family Charities, you can see videos of the well and of a village celebration of the well's completion.  On my Facebook group you can also see a video and photos of my relatives who are severely malnourished asking for my help. 

If you are able, please help me lift the people of Aguok from the scourge of malnutrition.  Your contributions will be sent to my mother, a respected village leader who is always mindful of the most vulnerable among them, especially orphans and widows.  Please also join our Facebook page so you can see how needed and effective your contributions are.  Thank you, and may God bless you!