Nov 30, 2009

SODIS at Sud Academy

Since the introduction of the water tank at Sud Academy, students have enjoyed (on most days) the free flow of water for washing & drinking. Because we want to ensure the overall health of the students, we want to make sure that the water they are drinking will not give them diseases like cholera, typhoid, or even diarrhea, the #1 killer of children in Africa.

We have introduced the idea of SODIS- purifying water by leaving it in the sun's UV rays for a full day. Easy-breezy. Since the end of the year was nearing, we thought we'd first train teachers, help them understand the science behind SODIS and demonstrate to them that the simple process works when done correctly. For the last 2 weeks of school we held many meetings and testing sessions with the teachers, and they went very smoothly! Just as we'd imagined, there were impurities in the rain water (but none of the very harmful e-Coli that one finds in most water sources here), and when we left the water in the sun for a few hours, those impurities & bacterias were killed. The teachers were very excited and most said they would practice this at home over the holidays. It's my hope that when the students come back from their holidays, the teachers & I will be able to launch SODIS with the students and get them in the routine of purifying their water and being free from bacteria.

Please see a few pictures of collecting water samples from around the school's property, testing original water sources, and the SODIS samples we eventually found to be clean- every time!


**UP & DOWN: Testing handwashing puddle- results showed it was extremely contaminated with e-coli.**





**UP & DOWN: testing water post- SODIS--- came out sparkling clean, without impurities or bacteria!**



 

**UP & Down: Collecting samples from sewage trench water flowing from apartments above**


 
Please click here for more information on SODIS and London's "The Water School", an organization we've partnered with to bring this life-saving technique to the staff and students at Sud. We appreciate their help, materials and advice!
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Nov 23, 2009

Sudan Photos!!

Jambo everyone....

Please follow this link to view my photo album of shots taken last month in Southern Sudan. I hope you enjoy this glimpse of where Sud Academy's students come from...

www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2296307&id=81003545&l=bd41241820

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Nov 16, 2009

Water is Life--- Thanks London!

****Please see below for an update on the water catchment tank at Sud****

Here are some photos of students washing dishes, washing hands, and filling up cups & jugs of the surprisingly clean rain water that has been captured in their new tank!








Nov 14, 2009

Fundraising Efforts Working Wonders at Sud!

The past month has been a whirlwind of activity in more than a few ways! I traveled to Uganda and Sudan for 10 days at the end of October, where among many other things I caught a bug. It took me a couple weeks to recuperate, but now that I have, it's back into the full swing of things!

First, let me congratulate my mum Susan on a wonderful event that raised over $14,000 for Special Projects at Sud Academy! Her "Style in the City" event, thanks to it's sponsors and attendees, raised more than enough money to build a water catchment tank. The hefty balance remains in the bank for more Special Project initiatives, the most important of which I will discuss in just a bit... When I walk into school and see students lined up at the tap waiting for their turn to fill their cup or wash their hands, it makes me proud that the London community is responsible for making such an impact in another community, half way around the world. It's impossible to describe how appreciative the students are to have access to free flowing water--- now we must simply wait for the torrential rains to come to fill up the beast of a tank! Thank you sincerely to all those who supported the event.

As mentioned in earlier posts, we are also launching a program called SODIS (solar water disinfection)at the school to purify water. Since we are waiting for the heavy rains to fill the tank, our focus right now is educating and training the teachers and some senior students on the life-saving process. We will launch the program school-wide in January when the students return from their break.

With the water tank and SODIS taken care of, our next big leap is to build a lab and facilitate the education of our Grade 12 students. As many of you know, we lack a Gr. 12 because we do not have a lab for science lessons and practicals. Without studying this, the students have no hope at passing the standardized exams at the end of Gr. 12 which they need to graduate. We are working on a proposal, putting the figures together and working out the logistics at the moment, but what remains is that we still need adequate funding in order to move forward with the plans! The total cost is likely to be in the neighbourhood of $15,000- $20,000 when you consider that we need the building, school supplies, electricity, furniture, books, and teachers!

I cannot stress enough how important it is to implement a Gr. 12 class at this school. Students in lower grades might become discouraged from studying hard if they think they won't be able to graduate at the end of all their hard work. Even though they deal with hunger, thirst, disease, homelessness, having no parents, and war trauma to name a few, this hurdle-- graduating from high school-- is one that we can actually change for the better. They truly have no hope without us, and I have 110% confidence that we will make it happen!

I am elated to hear that high schools, businesses and various groups in Canada are interested in helping Sud Academy become a destination school for Sudanese refugees... John Wise and Arthur Voden schools in St. Thomas have committed to helping their fellow students across the globe get a fair shot at life, just as they are lucky enough to have because they were born in a peaceful country like Canada. That students & kids are becoming more socially aware is inspiring to me- you get what you give, and I'm glad our Canadian students are seizing the opportunity to help others, and as such, themselves. Good work, St. Thomas!

Let's see what other sources of funding we can find for Sud and a lab... I welcome anyone to contact me (kelleejacobs@gmail.com) if you need any information about things related to Sud, Sudan, labs, education, fundraising, etc.... I look forward to working with all of you!

Stay tuned for photos and a story on my trek into Southern Sudan-- understanding where these students come from is a must for anyone interested in helping. The stories, situation and challenges in Sudan are both heartbreaking and inspiring. When I see need, I am immediately inspired to act. I hope you'll join me in this venture to make change, one community at a time.

Until then,
A giant Asante Sana!! (Swahili for thank you)