A SPECIAL APPEAL

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I send my warmest greetings and well wishes to you and your family. I arrived in Ariang at the end of December to begin the second phase of our school project: fencing the school campus, building a separate latrine for girls to ensure their privacy, and conducting more training for teachers. Our hope is to begin the process of making 450,000 bricks for the school fence of which the women and youth will continue to be a vital part.

There have been many exciting milestones for HOPE for Ariang such as the opening of Ariang School on May 17, 2011 for 500 young boys and girls. But I am writing to you today with a burdened heart. Since arriving in Ariang, I have witnessed one of the most severe food crises that I have seen in a long time. Due to lack of rainfall last year, families are without food this harvest season. I can see young children losing weight rapidly. This crisis is not only affecting Ariang, but also many villages and thousands of children across South Sudan.

My goal is to continue to work hard to ensure that children in Ariang receive quality education, but the obstacles to learning become even greater when they are hungry and without food.

Here is the situation in South Sudan as I witness it today:

• Soaring food and fuel prices, rising poverty and growing insecurity are hitting families hard and pushing up to a third of the population into hunger.

• South Sudan's growing food problems are due to a combination of factors, including erratic rains and market disruption caused by border closures. There is also a higher demand for food in the region than a year ago. Some 360,000 people have returned to the newly independent nation to begin new lives and more than 300,000 people have been displaced as a result of tensions in border areas (source: World Food Program).

• The newly formed government of South Sudan is not yet fully positioned to respond to this food crisis.

• Global organizations like the World Food Program are trying to respond but are presently concentrating on feeding the thousands of returnees who are currently living in refugee camps throughout South Sudan.

• The crisis is at its worst now, but hopefully will be better during the next harvest this summer.

How you can help:

• There are families with just one bag of sorghum and others with none. Your donation of $150 will provide one bag of sorghum to feed a family for about 1 and a half months but any amount you are able to donate will help meet this crisis.

• I plan to purchase the necessary food and work with local community leaders and elders in Ariang to distribute it equitably to those in need.

• With your help for this special appeal, the Ariang Primary School Project will continue and the Ariang community will see their children not only survive, but thrive.

Our long-term goal:

• We will seek long-term solutions by quickly beginning the brick-making process for a school fence. This project will employ women, men, and youth in Ariang and provide an income and food for their families. We will also work towards providing a food program at Ariang School, so that students will receive a nutritious meal at school even in the midst of this and future food shortages.

I recognize that we won't be able to address the entire crisis alone, but with your help, I believe that we can provide some relief to many hungry families in Ariang.

If you would like to help in this emergency appeal go to:

www.hopeforariang.org

You can donate there through PayPal. Before you submit the donation, click "Add special instructions to the seller" and write EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF. You can also donate by check made out to Hope for Ariang. Please specify on the check that it is for EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF. Please mail your check to:

Hope for Ariang Foundation

PO Box 6887

Syracuse, NY 13217

Our hope is to wire money to Gabriel by January 28th so that he will have time to purchase and distribute food before his return on February 15th. Thank you in advance for your deep support and dedication!

In Solidarity,

Gabriel Bol Deng and Elizabeth Deng and members of the Hope for Ariang Board of Directors

What is HOPE for Ariang?

HOPE for Ariang is a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities and health services for the Sudanese people adversely affected the ongoing conflict in Sudan. It seeks to restore and empower Sudanese through education, with a special emphasis on education for girls in Sudan.

Vision Statement:

Education provides the foundation for future economic viability, post-conflict development and cross-cultural understanding. Hope for Ariang will meet its educational goals with promotion of gender equity, peace and justice.

Objectives:

• To build primary schools, first in the village of Ariang in South Sudan, and then beyond
• To assist existing educational systems in South Sudan
• To provide gender equity through promoting education for girls
• To help restore the physical health to young children through provision of school meals, clean drinking water and access to vaccinations and a school nurse
• To enhance understanding between the United States and Sudanese people.
• To encourage the growth of civil society, with a goal of self-reliance for the Sudanese people
• To advance people’s ability to realize their full human potential and development
• To provide the village with a central hub (the school), which will restore the sense of community

Project Expected Outcomes:

• 700 boys and girls will have access to primary and secondary education (K-12 curriculum), providing 100% literacy for those who attend school regularly.
• Trained teaching staff will teach the children in Ariang, improving the quality of their education
• Common childhood diseases will be eliminated for an estimated 600 school children who will receive vaccinations.
• An estimated 600 children will have increased food security through regular, nutritious meals at school.
• Over 100 adults will participate in adult-education classes, building skills and basic education in order to foster self-reliance.
• Access to clean drinking water will eliminate water borne diseases for school children and their families who will receive water from the school, carried by the children.
• An on-site nurse will be able to give referrals to a near-by clinic for critical health problems.