Organizational Updates
Women in South Sudan: Paska’s Perspective
A voice in Juba Makes it to San Francisco The following is written by Caroline Schulberg, a high school student in San Francisco who reached out the Rebuild South Sudan because she wanted to know how she could help. In an effort to get a real understanding of the current situation in South Sudan, I […]
Rebuild South Sudan’s New Executive Director
Katie Rivers officially stepped into the role of Executive Director on July 1, 2016. When Michael Kuany held the door open for me at small San Francisco restaurant on 22nd Street, I walked through it. But that wasn’t the only door he held open for me that October evening in 2010. As Michael sat and […]
Big Books in South Sudan for International Literacy Day
One of the first memories many of us have is of sitting on a parent’s lap as they read to us one of our favorite children stories. However, in South Sudan most children don’t have books of their own at home. Rebuild South Sudan has been working with Dr. Mac H. Brown, a retired professor […]
Holding Out Hope for Peace in South Sudan
Rebuilding South Sudan: Can the World’s Newest Nation Live in Peace? August 9, 2015 @ 9:30AM Congregational Church San Mateo 225 Tilton Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401 A Free Event Katie Rivers, Board President of Rebuild South Sudan will share at Congregational Church San Mateo about the challenges her organization faces as they work with […]
International Literacy Day 2015 in San Francisco – Canceled!
We are sorry to say that we had to cancel this live in person event due to a shortage of staff. We hope to still be able to hold a version of this event later in the fall. There are still ways to partner with us on International Literacy Day to support South Sudan! Please see […]
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 […]
The Good Lie: A Film About Heroic Perseverance
Americans watch horror movies. The Lost Boys and Girls live them. “The Good Lie” calls much needed attention to the story of The Lost Boys and Girls and their nation, South Sudan. Anyone familiar with the 2006 documentary “God Grew Tired of Us” will recognize its presence as the skeleton for this new telling that […]
Keeping Current on South Sudan
A Digest of Recent News in South Sudan Peace is still drastically needed in South Sudan. President Salva Kiiir and rebel leader Riek Machar continue to take turns blaming one another for the ongoing outbreaks of violence and for the slowness of the peace talks being conducted in Ethiopia led by the Intergovernmental Authority […]
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 […]
Letter to Jalle
To the Persevering People of Jalle: I have not met you; I only know of few of your names, yet I think of you nearly every day. I long to know you because your story has become part of my story, and we are now connected. I’ve been working with Michael Ayuen Kuany as part […]
San Francisco Event
Michael Kuany, founder of the nonprofit Rebuild South Sudan (rebuildsouthsudan.org) and one of the “Lost Boys” of South Sudan, came to the US in 2001 after a childhood spent in refugee camps. He and thousands of other children fled a bloody civil war in 1985. Since arriving in the States in 2001, he has received […]
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 […]
Meeting Long Term Needs
As the unrest and sporadic violence continues in South Sudan, we must identify and help meet the long term needs that bring an end to a cycle of destruction. In a country whose people have only known war and violence, the only things that will ensure long term change are education and a firm belief […]
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. […]
Recruiting Helping Hands
This summer has been one of transition for our group and to strengthen our team, we’re looking to those connected to the organization to help us fill some positions and offer their hands to help as these Jalle kids did on our last trip. We are currently seeking volunteers and paid staff and have added a new […]
Michael Moves to South Sudan
As of this weekend, Michael Kuany has relocated back to his home country in South Sudan. While we are so sad to see him go, we are grateful for the opportunities which await him, our organization, and his country because of his physical presence on South Sudanese soil. When Michael first moved to the US […]
Michael and Deborah are on the Move
Below is a letter Michael recently sent out to many of his contacts. He and Deborah have experienced quite the year of transition with the birth of their baby Ayak, Deborah’s return to Austrailia to get an MBA and Michael’s upcoming and permeant move to South Sudan. Please read below for his perspective on the […]
New Name: REBUILD SOUTH SUDAN!
What’s in a name? A lot when that name represents a new nation and a new identity to a people who have remained under the oppression of others for generations. We are excited to join in name with the Republic of South Sudan by announcing we have officially changed our organization name to REBUILD SOUTH […]
Named Public Interest Design Global Ambassadors
We’re a bit behind in sharing this good news, but better late than never. Rebuild South Sudan Founder Michael Kuany and Board President, Jill Sornson Kurtz were named by Public Interest Design’s 100 Global design list. Broken down into categories of promotors, facilitators, makers, policy makers, connectors, ambassadors, educators, visualizers, funders and organizers, this Autodesk sponsored project named Michael and Jill […]
Friends and Farewells
It’s been a whirlwind couple of days though the time passes slower here than at home. We have been blessed with companions on our trip who have become friends and we pass the time well together. Daniel is our right hand man, coordinator, interpreter, and negotiator. He’s lead us through the crazy Juba terminal, worked […]
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 […]
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 […]
Giving Tuesday
Remember that thing called the “Giving Season“? You know… it happens around the “Shopping Season“? Every year there is a day for shopping in stores called “Black Friday“… and a day for shopping online called “Cyber Monday“… Now there is a day for America to show it GIVES as good as it GETS! Tuesday, November […]
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 […]
2012 End of Year T-Shirt Campaign
We’re kicking off our end of year campaign to give you one last chance at a tax-deductable donation for 2012 and complete our fundraising for Phase 1! If you haven’t given this year or want to give on behalf of someone else for the holiday’s, now is a perfect time. As a bonus, we’re printing […]
T-shirt Design Competition
Calling all Graphic Designers! We need your creative help designing a T-shirt for us! The winner will receive a $100 cash prize and have their design represent our organization (plus, we’ll all think you’re really cool and we’ll be super grateful!) Design Criteria: Include Rebuild Sudan’s Logo but you can remove the tag line if […]
Pressing on and Moving forward
The last few months have represented some growing up for our organizations. Since Blake’s departure, we’ve really had to dig deep within our team and restructure ourselves to move forward. First we were faced with the question: Do we need to find a new executive director? If so, how will we afford to do so? […]
September Newsletter
Did you get our quarterly email newsletter? We want to keep you up to date on the big happening in and through Rebuild Sudan. Download it here. Read and click below. Sign up so you never have to miss it again!! Email info@rebuildsudan.org
Michael & Deborah’s Marriage
We have exciting news!!! On July 2, 2012 Michael Ayuen Kuany married Deborah Nyap Majer Akon in Bor, South Sudan and their story was nothing short of incredible. This week, I was given a great gift as I sat down with the newlyweds and heard them recount their courtship and vision for their shared future. […]
Rebuilding Home
South Sudanese youth have known only know a life of war. They have spent their childhood in refugee camps, moving from place to place and not knowing if family members survived the thousands of miles on foot. But with independence of South Sudan finally comes the dream to return for the first time to the […]
Blake’s Resignation
After two years of faithful service and leadership with Reuild Sudan, Blake Clark has resigned as executive director for personal reasons. His motivation and hope in this project has not wavered; he will continue to advise the Jalle School’s design team as we move forward on the floor and wall systems in Phase 2. We […]
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, […]
Unexpected Gifts
Written by Marianne Nepsund I am thrilled and honored to be Rebuild Sudan’s first official intern. As such, I must introduce myself appropriately – with a confession: Food and epiphanies seem go hand and hand for me. I’ve never been a speedy eater. So perhaps it is the contemplative nature of my dining habits that […]
Introducing Zoe Mullery
For the next couple of weeks we will be introducing and highlighting each of the board members on Rebuild South Sudan’s Board of Directors. Some of these people have been serving with Rebuild Sudan for years and others have recently joined. To begin, one of Rebuild South Sudan’s longest members, introducing… Zoe Mullery Board Member […]
Gifting Your Gifts
Written by Jill Sornson Kurtz, Board President This has been quite a year for me… I got married, graduated with my masters, and will soon turn… drum roll, please… 30!! (yikes. that’s the first time I’ve typed it out) And with each milestone is another reason to celebrate! Culturally, we commemorate these milestones for others […]
Goodbye Old Juba: Update #20
This is my last night in Sudan. Tomorrow I begin the 36-odd hour journey home. My son Milo’s vocabulary has grown exponentially during the month I’ve been gone. I half expect him to meet me at the airport with, “Welcome back dad. How was your trip to Sudan?” But I’ll be happy with “Da-da!” and […]
May 2011 Newsletter
Modern Business 3 LIGHT HTML Email Missing images? Launch it in your browser. May 2011 Follow Us Friend Us Follow our Updates Dear friends and supporters, This time, I’m not asking for money. (maybe later…) I am, however, asking for your support. We will be in Sudan for the rest of may and half of […]
