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I've passively followed some of the ongoings of Sudan and the war between North and South. I hope and pray that South Sudan can do what it must to get their country going and improve the life of its people. South Sudan, the World's Newest Nation, Prepares to Embrace Freedom
Juba, South Sudan – The capital of the world's soon-to-be newest country is a dusty city where herds of goats roam the roads, few paved streets exist, no students attend the university and a baby has stronger chance of dying than living until age five.
For all of its challenges, the mood in Juba, which I recently visited as a member of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors, had a fairly strong, upbeat feel to it, as the citizens of South Sudan prepare to realize their inherent right -- freedom.
On July 9, after decades of civil war and an uneasy five-year truce with their northern neighbors, the South Sudanese will become masters of their own destiny.
As I observed our Independence Day this week in New York -- marking America's 235th birthday -- I thought of the people I met in South Sudan the week before.
Take Chol Makur, a tall, serious young man who doesn't know how old he is, but says he's probably in his late twenties. Raised to take care of cattle, Chol was recruited as a child soldier during South Sudan's civil war. He was finally rescued and started at a missionary school at around 12 years of age. He excelled and is now studying medicine under challenging conditions, to say the least. He lives in a tent and most days doesn't have enough food to eat. But his mentor, Dr. Thomas Burke, Director of the Division of Global Health and Human Rights of the Massachusetts General Hospital, says he's the equal of top American medical students.
For all of its challenges, the mood in Juba, which I recently visited as a member of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors, had a fairly strong, upbeat feel to it, as the citizens of South Sudan prepare to realize their inherent right -- freedom.
On July 9, after decades of civil war and an uneasy five-year truce with their northern neighbors, the South Sudanese will become masters of their own destiny.
As I observed our Independence Day this week in New York -- marking America's 235th birthday -- I thought of the people I met in South Sudan the week before.
Take Chol Makur, a tall, serious young man who doesn't know how old he is, but says he's probably in his late twenties. Raised to take care of cattle, Chol was recruited as a child soldier during South Sudan's civil war. He was finally rescued and started at a missionary school at around 12 years of age. He excelled and is now studying medicine under challenging conditions, to say the least. He lives in a tent and most days doesn't have enough food to eat. But his mentor, Dr. Thomas Burke, Director of the Division of Global Health and Human Rights of the Massachusetts General Hospital, says he's the equal of top American medical students.