“Going to school changed my life,” says Benjamin Chol Lueth, who comes from a cattle-raising community in Ayel, South Sudan.
Benjamin is in his fourth year at the Jesuit-run Victor Luke Odambo Secondary School. He has six siblings, but he’s the only one in school. His brothers work with cattle, and his sisters were married when they were young. His father decided that Benjamin would go to school, even though the family didn’t have much money.
Victor Luke Odambo Secondary School is supported by Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) and other members of the Xavier Network as part of the Jesuits Eastern Africa Province’s Sowing Seeds of Transformation Project. The network, of which CJI is a member, brings together 14 Jesuit mission offices and international development organizations of provinces in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
Education “opened my eyes to the wider world beyond my community,” says Benjamin, who wants to become a doctor and set up a clinic to address the lack of healthcare in his community.
Benjamin is more fortunate than his siblings and most young Sudanese who are unable to go to school because of poverty, cultural barriers, child marriage, and lack of government funding for education. More than 2.8 million children, or over 70% are out of school in South Sudan, according to UNICEF. The largest percentage of them are girls.
The Jesuit-supported education that Benjamin receives has helped him gain a strong sense of purpose and responsibility, practical and life skills, and a greater awareness of the needs of his community and country. His story demonstrates the power of education to transform lives.
Click here to learn more, including how you can support the project.
