New Sudan Education Initiative

New Sudan Education Initiative
Type	Non-profit
Location	Yei, Sudan;
Area served	South Sudan
Products	Education; Vocational Training
Key people	Robert Lair, Atem Deng, co-founders
Website	http://www.nesei.org

The New Sudan Education Initiative (NESEI) is a

Yei

, and it currently plans to build 20 schools throughout South Sudan.

History and present activities

NESEI was first conceived in January 2004, on a plane ride from East Africa to Vermont, when Robert Lair, a

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and other groups who had been most adversely affected in the decades-long war

there.

Over the next few years, their organization evolved into a plan to provide secondary education to 20,000 Southern Sudanese children and to build 20 schools throughout the region. Their first school, The New Sudan School of Health Sciences, opened on May 19, 2008, with an initial class of 75 young women. [1]

NESEI has evolved into an organization that has as its priority the incorporation of sustainable economic and environmental practices at its school campus. To achieve this goal, they have instituted

economic sustainability.^[2]

In 2010, NESEI was renamed Africa Education and Leadership Initiative.

Future plans

NESEI's school plans to expand to over 100 students in 2009. NESEI also plans to open an agriculture program within the next year at the same location, which will teach students agricultural practices in an 'interactive classroom' on the school farm. As part of their studies, students will grow and learn about food at the farm, helping to support their campus and the surrounding communities.

NESEI plans to open schools throughout South Sudan. These schools will combine a standard high school curriculum, as well as specialized vocational courses, which will provide training to young

Health Sciences, Agriculture, Computer Technology, and Business

.

Philosophical guidelines

Although NESEI is currently a traditional non-profit organization, and receives most of its funding from private

social entrepreneur movement, and plans to become a social business in the future, which will no longer have to rely on donations for its funding. It plans to become sustainable through charging a small tuition to its more affluent students, and by utilizing income-generating projects in its schools. The projects will include activities in each school, with examples being small agricultural plots and animal husbandry. This will provide food for the school, teach students valuable skills, and supply the local community with reasonably priced and fresh products.^[3]

References

^ Sally Pollak,"If you build it," The Bor Globe, April 27th, 2008, http://www.borglobe.com/southern-sudan-news/2-southern-sudan-news/180-if-you-build-it.html?5e29647c293977af965708edc8f8cba4=40d9cba83fef34c4a9be978e71e933a4"
^ Dorothy Pellett, "Verilux helps light up Sudan school," Burlington Free Press, July 28th, 2008, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/BUSINESS/807280301/1003"target="_blank"
^ New Sudan Education Initiative, http://www.nesei.org/

[1] Sally Pollak,"If you build it," The Bor Globe, April 27th, 2008, http://www.borglobe.com/southern-sudan-news/2-southern-sudan-news/180-if-you-build-it.html?5e29647c293977af965708edc8f8cba4=40d9cba83fef34c4a9be978e71e933a4"

[2] Dorothy Pellett, "Verilux helps light up Sudan school," Burlington Free Press, July 28th, 2008, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080728/BUSINESS/807280301/1003"target="_blank"

[3] New Sudan Education Initiative, http://www.nesei.org/

[2]

[3]