Jalle Peace School
Hope is Roof-shaped: Development in South Sudan
One roof closer to completing this building as an offering to hope and development in South Sudan. In October of 2015, the roof of the only permanent structure for miles was installed in Jalle Payam. We want to take a moment to celebrate that! And at the same time, we want to take many moments to remember the […]
Teacher Training 2015: Support Education in South Sudan
Supporting Education in South Sudan Means Supporting Teachers The Jalle Peace School is in session even though the building is simply a steel frame. In the Jalle payam there are 44 teachers, 6 of whom are teaching under the school’s steel structure in what is being called, “The Open Space School.” In Jalle there are 250 […]
VOA Radio Features the Jalle Peace School
Rebuild South Sudan Radio Interview (start at 11:07) Blog Post: Bringing Education to South Sudan, One Village at a Time It Takes a Village to Build a School Slideshow In August 2014 Michael, Katie, and Luke had the opportunity to be interviewed by Karin Zeitvogel for the radio program South Sudan in Focus, part of […]
New Short Film Released
As a winner of a SEED Award in 2013, we were granted a short film with funding from the Fetzer Institute. In addition to being the inaugural project for SEED Funds, we are excited to release this short film which summarizes our purpose, process, and vision. Even in the midst of the difficulties South Sudan […]
BAS Fan Donation!
We are excited to announce a $28,000 donation of equipment from Big Ass Solutions for our natural cooling system for the Jalle School Project. The aim is to use these fans in the gathering hall and classroom through a solar power system. The by installing these fans in the gathering hall and moving air through […]
Jalle Attacked
Thank you for your continues prayers for peace in South Sudan. The general situation is still tense but improving day by day. The government and the rebels signed cessation of hostilities two weeks ago to end the one month old conflict between the government and rebels forces. Regardless of the signed cessation of hostilities, the rebels are […]
Education Can Bring A Nation Together
The ongoing rivalry between Salva Kiir and Riek Machar has imposed violence and ethical conflict to the country of South Sudan. Many people have fled, become misplaced, or forced to go into hiding to stay safe during the attacks and clashes. We acknowledge that there is disagreement between the government and the people, but we are […]
Public Interest Design Institute Kansas City
At a Public Interest Design Institute conference in September, Jill Kurtz was able to present Rebuild South Sudan’s project, in Jalle, South Sudan, to community designers in Kansas City. Having the opportunity to connect with designers and community transformers is very important: They get to see a working example of innovation impacting Jalle, South Sudan. […]
An Exciting Project Update
What a whirlwind the last few months have been for us as an organization and for many of us personally. The past year has held some of our highest highs and lowest lows. But the project continues to move forward and we are more excited than ever that this school will become a reality. Construction projects are […]
Meeting with the Minister of Education
We had a fantastic meeting today with the Minister of Education for the government of Jonglei State, Stephen par Kuol. He has been in this position since 2010 and was former ambassador for South Sudan in Tanzania and a life time teacher/professor. He spoke of his vision for education for his people as a way […]
Just a drop towards Long-term Development
April 10 – Bor, South Sudan The journey to Jalle is long. One 11 hour flight over the atlantic pond to Egypt, a six hours flight into South Sudan, a 35 minute puddle jumper to Bor and then a 2 hour car ride to the site. I left Bethlehem 3 days ago and we’re still […]
SEED Award @ University of Minnesota
Rebuild Sudan was honored not only to be a SEED Award Recipient, present our project at the University of Minnesota College of Design’s first ever Public Interest Design Week, but to be welcomed with open arms into the public interest design community. We literally brought people to tears with Michael’s story and our organization’s hope […]
New Renderings of School
Thanks to the help of Jill for an updated model and Marianne (+ her UT Austin classmate) Rebuild Sudan has some fantastic new renderings to show you of the Jalle School Design.
First View of the Building Structure!
You’re looking at the first image we’ve seen of the building structure!! Our team has cried tears of joy over this sight and cannot wait to share more images and stories with you of the impact its already having on the community. Stay tuned… much is to come!
School Project wins SEED Award!
Since May of 2009, we have worked tirelessly as a dedicated team of people on the design of a school in South Sudan. It has been one of the most difficult but most rewarding projects many of us have ever pursued. But just when we were waining in hope, we found out we were awarded […]
Jalle School Information Updated
Check out our updated Jalle School pages for new information on the school design including technical information, refershed construction schedule, and more photos (the updated rendering above is thanks to Marianne’s mad Sketch up skills and Jill’s Photoshop expertise). Michael is so excited the blue roof is finally in the rendering for everyone to see! […]
Breaking Ground if not Groundbreaking
Forgive our silence on the blog for the last couple of days. Part of this was due to lack of communication with Blake and Marianne in the out of pocket location of Jalle, the other part was due to difficulties we were having onsite which Blake will explain below. Thankfully, this doesn’t change our project’s […]
Home on the Range
There’s no signage driving into Jalle. The rusted out Russian MIG to your left lets you know you’re close. A moment later, graceful crested cranes dart across your path and a few corrugated metal sheds appear along the road. Pieces of broken concrete keep the roof from blowing away in these high winds. This is […]
Just another day (and night) in Jalle
(Marianne) South Sudan is a beguiling contradiction. Hash and unyeilding, joyful and inclusive. Today, we saw the extremes of both sides. Today really began with last night with the all-night preparations for our clerical guests. As we sat in the courtyard under the full moon, villagers entered one by one, depositing sleepy-looking chickens in a […]
Bats in the belfry
Hopefully, my posts don’t sound like I’m whining. Life here is so different that it seems like describing the most visceral experiences we’re having might sound like complaining. I prefer the term “coping” or perhaps, “coming to terms.” Marianne and I are sharing a hut at the Grace Chapel Church compound about 6 miles from […]
A Square Rectangle
The meeting with the elders to finalize the school placement wasn’t quite what I expected. A village elder approached Denis shaking his head. We had just begun measuring our baseline. He told Denis that a new road was planned and that the school needed to be moved some distance. This news was followed by uproarious […]
Dear South Sudan,
Feb 1, 2012 Dear South Sudan, You and I, we’re going to get along just fine. The weather here reminds me of home in south texas and the people here are just as friendly. I had leave my last friend, New Hampshire, once my time there was through, but we’re still on good terms. And […]
Listening with the right hemisphere
My wife would be the first to tell you I am about 98% left-brained – on a good day. Here in South Sudan, I’m stretching the 2% that isn’t strictly logical just to have a simple conversation and it’s that 2% that has to interpret context and every conversation I have relies on context that […]
One Night in Bor Town
(Blake Clark) We were supposed to leave at 8:00am this morning from Juba to Jalle with 5 people in the car. We instead left at 2:30 and made it to Bor with 7 people in the car. So we have a layover in Bor for the night with bonus internet, showers and beer for one […]
Arriving and Preparing in Juba
Marianne and I arrived in Juba yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. Both of us started our journey on Sunday. The new terminal at the Juba airport is still under construction which appears to have come to a complete stop. So, Marianne got the full experience of flying into Juba’s old terminal building. After you deplane you walk […]
Start of the Year Update
So much has been happening behind the scenes of this website that we’ve forgotten to update you! In December, we saw a rise in violence in Jonglei State, the region of our school and Michael’s community in South Sudan. As Michael reported to the Bor Globe, over 42 people were killed in the Juet community, […]
Our Past and Future
Rebuild Sudan: Our Past and Our Future from Rebuild Sudan on Vimeo. Rebuild Sudan in partnership with Sarah Gerber of twentytwenty studios, is proud to release this 8min short film recounting the story of its founder, Michael Kuany, the organization’s partnership with the Jalle Community, and the shared efforts to construct the Jalle School. Please click on the image […]
Second Guessing
Project Update by Blake Clark, Executive Director and Project Manager Some people ask me what takes up most of my time as executive director of Rebuild South Sudan. My response is, “Second guessing myself.” And I’m only half joking. This is generally not seen as the mark of a strong leader. “Damn the torpedoes, full […]
Myth Busted!
Project update by Blake Clark, Project Manager and Executive Director My quote for the week comes from Dave Gauthier, president of Winter Panel in Brattleboro Vermont, “Myth Busted!” This was his spontaneous response to the floor panel tests at his facility last week. In true Mythbuster’s style, things ended with a concussive bang, but after […]
Engineering, Maximization, and Logistics
Project Update from Blake Clark, Project Manager and Executive Director This week is all about engineering, maximization, and logistics. If you’re still reading, you might just be a little geeky, but you’d fit right in around here! Putting this project together is like putting together one of those jigsaw puzzles without a picture on it. […]
Project Partners: Heli-Pile
Project Partners: From the beginning, the Jalle School project has been about partnerships. With the first trip of volunteer architects and engineers, this project has seen many people and organizations giving of their time and resources to partner with Rebuild South Sudan to make this school a reality. One of those partners is Heli-Pile in […]
On Project Partnership
Project Update: From the Executive Director I realized I personally haven’t written an update since returning from South Sudan in June. Time seems to evaporate in this work! We’ve made a lot headway and some new friends on the project front. As many of you know, we’re introducing a new foundation technology to East Africa […]
Mission of Mercy: Update #19
Amid the completely intolerable snoring last night came a knock at the door. Two people had been shot walking to cattle camp. I know this because when I attempted to escape the snoring by setting up a tent in the compound all hell broke loose. Too dangerous. What do you think you’re doing? Apparently the […]
Too Good to Be True?: Update #18
What a day. That’s a period, not an exclamation because I’m bone tired. The rains have been torrential the last couple of days turning the roads into skating rinks. Denis and his co-workers were scheduled to come to Jalle Thursday but were delayed a day due to fuel shortages in Juba. They were further delayed […]
The Best Pizza in Juba: Update #17
Pizza at last! Pizza at last! Thank God almighty there is pizza at last! With due apologies to Dr King and all struggling people everywhere. I was very excited when I located Notos restaurant, “The best pizza in Juba.” Things were looking up for my remaining days in Juba. Then, I counted what I have […]
Shuttle Diplomacy: #16
I left Bor this morning realizing that most people in Jalle were expecting me to come today and build a school. The foundation had arrived yesterday afternoon. Everyone was very excited. I was filled with dread. Even though Michael had already handled much of the politics with community leaders last night in Bor and it […]
Electric Windows: Update #15
Does anyone out there remember crank windows? You know, those fool-proof handles that you turn around and around a few times to raise and lower the window? They should be a standard feature on every vehicle in South Sudan. I’m serious. Power Windows? Push-button convenience my butt. We arrived in Bor to discover the creaky […]
Worst Dressed Man in Sudan: #14
There’s no doubt I stick out like a sore thumb here and I’m feeling a little self conscience about it. No, not the color of my skin, but the state of my wardrobe. Everyone here is impeccably groomed and I’m – uh – not. I’ve been wearing the same dirty jeans and shirt for several […]
Latest News: Update #13
Well, it looks as if the foundation is on its way. Michael is meeting the truck at the Nimule border crossing today. If this had happened two weeks ago, we would be celebrating! As it is, we are in discussions with GDC about whether or not it is feasible to try to build this season. […]
Body Language: #12
Tonight is James’s last night in Sudan. Not his last night in Africa, though, he has one more to go at the Cairo airport. Let’s hope he has a smoother trip than Sarah! Today James got a good lesson in local body language. We hadn’t driven too far out of Bor this morning when we […]
Fireflies: Update #11
There haven’t been too many times this trip when my first thought was, “I wish Milo was here to see this”. Milo is my 18 month old son back home in New Hampshire. That’s not to say I don’t miss Milo! I do! However, this is a challenging place to live and travel and most […]
First day in Jalle: #10
We drove out to the Rebuild South Sudan school site this morning. The road from here to there is more like I remember! If it had been raining, it would have taken awhile, as it is we drove it in about 15 minutes. As it’s been unseasonably dry, it was fairly easy to navigate. The […]
From Juba to Bor: Update #9
For those playing along at home, Bor is 128 miles from Juba. It took a little over 4 hours to get here in our trusty Landcruiser. We averaged about 30 mph on the mostly improved gravel road. There is surprisingly little in the way of villages between Juba and Bor. An outpost here and there, […]
Batteries and the Keys to Jalle
Our night in the Freedom hotel was quite restful. There was a cool breeze that even made me think for a moment that I would use the thin blanket provided with the room. Uh – on second thought, the sheet would do just fine, thank you. After checking out of Freedom hotel and loading up […]
Life changing experience…
“We visited a school on the outskirts of Juba (the capital of S. Sudan). The school provides education for children of refugee families now returned from the north. It was a life changing experience…” Sarah Gerber, twentytwenty studios
Partly Cloudy, Partly Sunny
It is partly cloudy here… That is to say, partly sunny as well. We accomplished most of our logistics list today. Including: 1. Checked out of the South Sudan Hotel. 2. Received our Western Union money transfer – Thanks Stephanie! 3. Gave our borrowed Landcruiser an oil and filter change and replaced some worn out […]
A Day Off: Update #6
Not much action today. I spent a couple hours trying to get Michael’s flight changed, and we’ll spend some more time tomorrow. We were able to located his itinerary and reservation number online as well as the phone number of his travel agent in Nebraska, two pieces of information we didn’t have when we started. […]
A Day of Magic: Update #5
And I thought yesterday was a good day… The morning started with an early phone call from Sarah’s contact who had invited us to visit his school. We skipped breakfast and waited in the hotel courtyard for him to arrive. The first to arrive was Michael, who, being cautious about us going out with someone […]
Meeting Denis, our Contractor: #4
Hi All, I just met Denis for the first time. Denis is the engineer working for Global Development Company (GDC), our contractor for the Jalle school. After my meeting with him there isn’t a doubt left in my mind that the school will be built. Today is a good day! Denis and I had not […]
Oops!: Project Update #3
Not much news to report about Abyei that’s new from yesterday. We’ll keep you posted if there are any new developments. We’ve decided not to go to Bor to attend the independence celebration. The logistics involved are costly and we still have plenty to keep us occupied here in Juba. Michael had scheduled his flight […]
Complications: Trip Update #2
Blake here. Well, after I thought we had decided on a plan, we’re likely already changing it. Thursday in Bor Town (remember we were planning to be in Juba still) there is a huge celebration related to official independence in July. Aparently, anybody who’s anybody is supposed to be there. The president, cabinet ministers, etc. […]
We are in Sudan! Trip update #1
From Sarah Gerber, Director of Communications We have arrived in Juba, South Sudan! Michael, the Director General (of telecommunications), the chairman of the Jalle community, and various other officials were there waiting for us at the airport. The Director General graciously maneuvered us through customs and took us (along with all the others) to a […]
Triumphs and Delays
From Blake Clark, Executive Director and Project Manager Check out our new project page! Come back for updates in the weeks ahead as the building takes shape. The website has been designed and developed entirely by volunteers. They’ve been busy completing the new look in time for our trip. Thanks! Speaking of the trip to […]
Project Update: Building in April
From Blake Clark, Executive Director and Project Manager Groundbreaking is scheduled for April! I can’t thank everyone enough who have contributed to this moment. Steel Structures in Nairobi has already finished fabricating the steel skeleton and the helical pier foundation system is in route. It will all come together in Jalle with two weeks of […]
