South Sudan: Low-landed people are not low-minded people

By Athian Aduol Yel, Aweil East, South Sudan

Friday, June 14, 2019 (PW) —- My writing begins by defining lowland and highland. Lowland is an area near the sea, river and no mountains or hills and it usually flooding meaning more water either by raining or flood. Elongated lowland between ranges of mountains, hills, or other uplands, often having a river or stream running along the bottom. An extensive area of land drained or irrigated by a river system. A depression or hollow resembling or suggesting a valley, as the point at which the two slopes of a roof meet highlands or uplands are any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau.

Generally speaking, upland or uplands refers to ranges of hills, typically up to 500–600 m. Highland (or highlands) is usually reserved for ranges of low mountains. In related to our cultures we refer our Northern site of Abiem who doesn’t experiences more water or flood during the rainy season or flood seasons as highland or upland though there is no mountains or hills. Our home village Dhiak Yai Weeth is situated in the South East from Wanyjok main capital of Aweil East state especially in lowland site and it is distance of 9 miles, which can take nearly 2 hours footing approximately.

This year alone we have more than 8 children who are going to join secondary school this year 2019 after winning the primary examination with flying color and they move with their humility face hoping that they will overcome next stage to other site of University. The details of candidates who passed primary leaving examination are as follow:

S/N           Name                                     Sex

1       Ariik Koch Dut                               Male

2       Makueth Dut Yel                            Male

3       Manyuol Lual Wol                          Male

4       Ateny Dut Akol                               Female

5       Atap Muon Kenyang                      Female

6       Nyibol Malong Akot                       Female

The above mentioned candidates do come from low land like others citizens in South Sudan and live example is the former leader of the SPLM/A late Dr Garang Mabior who had managed to beat the drum which create more and impressing ideas in the Sudan in which South become an independent state with sound South Sudan and here is summarizes biography of Dr John Garang: A member of the Dinka ethnic group, Garang was born into a poor family in Wangulei village Twic East County in the upper Nile region of Sudan. An orphan by the age of ten, he had his fees for school paid by a relative, going to schools in Wau and then Rumbek.

In 1962 he joined the first Sudanese civil War, but because he was so young, the leaders encouraged him and others his age to seek an education. Because of the ongoing fighting, Garang was forced to complete his secondary education in Tanzania. After winning a scholarship, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1969 from Grinnell College in Iowa United States. He was offered another scholarship to pursue graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, but chose to return to Tanzania and study East African agricultural economics as a Thomas Watson fellow at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).

At UDSM, he was a member of the University students’ African Revolutionary front. However, Garang soon decided to return to Sudan and join the rebels. There is much erroneous reporting that Garang met and befriended Yoweri Museveni, future president of Uganda, at that time; while both Garang and Museveni were students at UDSM in the 1960s, they did not attend at the same time. In 1970, Garang was among one of the batches of Gordon Muortat Mayen’s soldiers, the then leader of the Anyanya liberation movement, sent to Israel for military training.

Among students the 14 years old boy Manyuol Lual Wol Manyuol has significantly passed primary examine and he is yearning to be in secondary with others friend, Manyuol promise to double effort to achieved more than what he got in this stage while speaking during the small functions organized to recognizes the success of the children while his father Lual Wol Manyuol did not break his silent but it seem to be happy and promise to stand behind his sons and he used to support education when they ask what is need in school and he use to present himself in any meeting concerning school though he is not members of  PTA. 

In the same event Assistant Ex-chief Akech Aduol Chuor has spoken very good words by encouraging the scholars to continuous with their education
and strongly concentration to achieve good results, he urging the audience to pay attention and put investment in children as the top priority by sending children to school, treating them well and protecting them from harmful objects.

He added that our lowland is isolated in term of everything while the development which was the key for liberation of this country is taking tortoise speed of which our effort is highly needed and it could be through acquire better knowledge and put them in practices when you achieved it but it wouldn’t possible without determination and commitment Akech said

Lowland like others lands that created by creator have similar treatment and event bout ours has been so unique by being subject to taxes not development and as I am writing now we don’t have roads, not clinic and not roofing school and all these will not come alone nor government but collective efforts when government have vision to deliver the services to the people.

In the same functions some students who had just completed primary seven and they were promoted to primary eight have talked with bravely voices of achieving more than what these people did and they kindly requested their parents to stand behind them in order to utilizes this time in good manner so that the future will not be difficult like this time.

One of students outline the keys way of success as follow: determination, concentration, implementation, textbooks, and time for study, he also put forward that achieving the goal is not single effort but collective ideas from three parties that is parents, teachers and students.

The opinion writer is a concerned South Sudanese citizen and can be reached through this email address: athianaduol@gmail.com

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