Poni was just 18, living with her family, when her mother, father and brother were all shot and killed – victims of South Sudan’s cycles of conflict that, since the 1950s, have claimed some 1.5 million lives.

Pregnant and alone, Poni fled to a refugee camp in neighboring Uganda. Now 28 and back home in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, she and her son are on their own – she carries a trauma that’s never far from her mind. Moreover, her fear of violence has returned: her country once again slides toward conflict.

“People aren’t moving at night,” Poni told us during our recent interview. “You go out, but come home early, because of the insecurity … and the hunger is too much. There’s no money, actually.”

To learn more about Poni’s journey, watch this snippet:

In fact, Poni’s story is one of many narratives that we’re now collecting as part of our unique campaign: Unheard Voices: Our Oral History Project for the People of South Sudan. We invite you to join us!

In a world dominated by so many troubling trends, we know how easy it is to feel helpless or hopeless. You, like us, presumably care about matters of war and peace, human rights, climate change, or another faraway cause. Is there something you can do from your own home? Can one person make a difference?

Yes! In our own small but significant way, with this Oral History Project, our team aims to do something meaningful for an African crisis dear to us: South Sudan. Why now? The world’s youngest country won statehood in 2011, but only after another bloody civil war. Yet today, it’s sliding back into conflict.

This storytelling project isn’t a “solution,” of course. But by giving voice to South Sudanese survivors – and documenting their painful journey – we strive to empower them: so they not only 1) raise global awareness of their ongoing hardship, but 2) share their story with future generations. As a time-capsule!

Besides these two powerful motivations, research shows that Oral History projects can benefit traumatized societies like South Sudan’s in other meaningful ways: preserve fragile memory; healing and reconciliation; inform peace and development; and strengthen cultural identity.

Perhaps you’ve already watched Poni’s video, as one sample of our South Sudanese stories. Here’s a second from Francis Wani Wajo, who explains his inspiration for founding our partner organization on the ground in Juba: CISPO, the Community Initiative for Sustainable Peace Organization.

We invite you to join us – and are grateful for any gift you can afford to support our unique project!

Keep reading to learn how exactly your donation can make a difference in Unheard Voices.

Our Plan, Your Impact

We are SIA-Africa: Sustainable Investments & Alliances for Africa. Founded by Nene Kodjoe, a Ghanaian New Yorker, our UN-accredited nonprofit supports various African-led initiatives, elevates local voices, and builds bridges between Africa and the global audience. Click here to learn about our impact.

For Unheard Voices, we’re now raising $14,000 for Stage One. That will fund our efforts to conduct, record, edit, polish and publish 20 high-quality interviews. We estimate that the entire process for each Zoom-recorded interview will require 20-plus hours and cost roughly $600 apiece.

In addition to that $12,000, we’re raising $2,000 for our South Sudanese partner, CISPO, to establish their new website and other social-media platforms, as well as assist us with arranging interviews. After all, CISPO wants to publish these interviews – and publicize the South Sudanese ordeal to the world.

Indeed, we’re not alone with this project. In response to CISPO’s enthusiasm, we’ll help them recruit potential interviewers, then Jordan will deliver a series of storytelling trainings – for the local team to eventually conduct interviews on their own. That’s our vision for Stage Two of Unheard Voices: mentor our South Sudanese friends to expand this archive – and ensure this project's long-term sustainability.

Your donations, then, will support:

Every donation, no matter the size, helps to ensure these stories are recorded and shared respectfully and responsibly. We thank you for reading and for supporting a project that brings visibility, dignity, and hope to the people of South Sudan.

Together, we can ensure their stories are not forgotten.