Gua Africa currently supports a group of young people studying in Kenya and Uganda, who have all survived against unimaginable odds. Some were forced to fight as child soldiers in Southern Sudan, two survived the genocide in Rwanda which claimed the rest of their family, and all trekked hundreds of miles as children to seek safety in the UN refugee camp at Kakuma, NW Kenya. Most of them are orphaned, and have no homes they can return to or extended family to support them.

Gua has linked each of them with sponsors who pay their academic fees and all of them are studying hard to catch up on the years of education they missed. They know that if they can finish their schooling they stand the best chance of either making a new life for themselves in Kenya or returning to their homeland with the skills to help rebuild their former communities. With our help four students have graduated so far; 3 out of the 4 are now in employment, one as a doctor and one as an engineer.

Paying for their education is only part of the story however, and GUA Africa needs your support to help pay for their housing, food, clothing and other basic living expenses.

In the spring of 2011 we launched our Teacher Training programme under the umbrella of the Survivors of War. This saw five specially selected students from Southern Sudan begin training as teachers at a prestigious college in Nairobi. Upon graduation all five will be employed by Gua Africa at our very own Emma Academy in Leer, Southern Sudan, which happens to be all five students’ home town.

On the next pages you can read testimonies from two of the group, plus appeals for sponsorship from people we would next like to help.