Against All Odds
Young Leaders in Conflict Environments Engaging their Communities
Jok Abraham Thon is the definition of resilience. Born in Bor, South Sudan, in 1990, he marks many milestones in his life by tragedy and massacres. However, his demeanor, vision, and words are filled with hope, perseverance, and service to those affected by violence.
When South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, it became the world’s newest country. Yet, peace has been an elusive goal. Both prior to independence and since, warring factions have carried out horrendous acts of violence and precipitated humanitarian disasters leading to staggering levels of hunger and poverty.
Nearly a third of the population — 3.9 million people — are displaced by conflict internally or are refugees in neighboring countries. And more than half the population — 6.5 million people — faces severe hunger.
In 2017, South Sudan had the world’s highest proportion of primary school-aged children out of school — 72 percent (76 percent among girls), totalling 2.2 million children not in the classroom. COVID-19 has exacerbated this challenge, as schools closed in South Sudan to prevent spread of infection, and an unfortunate consequence has been an increase in teenage pregnancy and early marriage.
Against this backdrop, a young Jok was forced to flee his home and go to a refugee camp in Uganda in the 1990s, during Sudan’s civil war. Conditions in the camp were harsh. His younger brother died from malaria. Still he persisted and recognized that education was his key to survival. After his family returned to Bor with hopes of improving their lives, he was again displaced after a massacre in 2013. He escaped across a deep river with his sister on his shoulders, while fellow villagers were killed on the shore behind him. Like many South Sudanese, he became a refugee a second time.
Jok would not give up. He received his high school diploma in a refugee camp in Uganda and returned to South Sudan. Jok recognized that there were hundreds of children and youth growing up with no access to education and he knew that would only lead to a continuation of violence. This realization inspired Jok to find an abandoned building and mobilize friends to start the Promised Land Secondary School.
“Our aim is to empower the youth by giving them skills that will make them productive citizens who will contribute to nation building and to becoming ambassadors of peace,” said Jok.
In the 2017–2018 academic year, 52 students graduated from Promised Land Secondary School and 20 students were admitted to the University of Juba. In 2019, students at the school received the highest scores in South Sudan in the national examination results.
Tireless in his dedication, Jok launched Bullets to Books, a global effort to inspire people to invest in education in conflict environments and engage youth in peace building. Jok and allies have also created a children’s book, and a documentary about his life and work with other young people. Bullets to Books won the Ron Kovic Peace Prize for Best Short in the Humanitarian category, Best Music, and My Hero Prize categories.
“Bullets to Books is all about changing the mindset of the generation to learn how important they are to one another and what the world is expecting of them,” Jok said. “It has been my dream to lead and my call to lead young people to a new direction of peace with transformative ideas.”
Young changemakers like Jok exemplify the engagement for global action that USAID and other partners seek to promote through platforms such as www.YouthLead.org and www.YouthPower.org.
Jok is not alone in doing the important work to improve the capacity and commitment of other young people to promote change in South Sudan.
Jacob Bul Bior and Abul Oyay of the USAID-supported Anataban Campaign (“I Am Tired”), an artist collective of young leaders based in Juba, South Sudan, use street theater, graffiti, murals, sculpture, and poetry to foster public discussion about social injustice, government accountability, and transparency. Anataban members see solidarity, courage, integrity, inclusion, non-violence, and political neutrality as the important values guiding their work.
USAID is expanding our commitment to embracing youth as changemakers and partners in development through the new Global Leadership and Education for Advancing Development, or Global LEAD, initiative. This initiative seeks to assist youth in transforming their communities through civic education, engagement, and leadership development.
As USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa recently stated: “USAID sees young people as key partners in development. Young people have the passion, creativity, and tenacity to drive positive change in their communities and countries. It’s essential that all stakeholders — including aid organizations, civil society, and government — support the engagement of this emerging generation of leaders.
“USAID is committed to youth engagement, and we will continue to support the 1.8 billion young people worldwide through investments that expand their access to high-quality education, increase their employment opportunities, and empower them to reach their full potential.”
About the Author
Mike McCabe is the Agency Senior Advisor on Youth.
