The Explorer Vol 4 Issue 1 Summer 2024

EXPLORER ISSUE 1 | VOL. 4 | SUMMER 2024

THE DUNSTAN WAI FOUNDATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS Student Spotlights Editor's Note

03

Nuela Juan Ben

04

Ide Gift Eluzai

06

Ropani Gladys

08

Nyakwea Wai & Daniel Ritchie

Joan Gladys

10

Anzoo Annet

12

Interview: Nyakwea Wai

14

Interview: Daniel Ritchie

15

Works Cited

16

Visit

DWMCF.ORG to learn more about the Wai Foundation

The Explorer is elated to present its first Summer Issue for its fourth volume. In this issue, journalists interviewed five female students from Africa who had received scholarships from the Wai Foundation, an organization founded in honor of Dunstan Wai, that continues to work toward Dunstan’s ultimate goal of providing quality education to young women from South Sudan and Uganda through financial aid.

Although the consistent plot of an African girl who rises out of poverty may seem repetitive, each story is unique in its own way, teaching us lessons about hard work, challenge, goals, focus, resilience, and most importantly, hope. We wish that through these stories, readers begin to appreciate how fortunate they are, and that this may be the spark that starts a remarkable journey of service.

The Explorer's mission is to explore various topics that connect all of humanity regardless of culture, border, or age. The articles in this issue remind us of the importance of gratitude and the challenges of people living in far worse conditions. We encourage you, as the reader, to reflect on the things you are grateful for, and the ways in which you can contribute to this honorable cause.

by Isaac Ning

NUELA JUAN BEN I Am The Driver, Not The Passenger Introduction Nuela Juan Ben is a South Sudanese student attending St. Andrew’s College - Moyo in senior five. At 19 years old, Nuela has faced challenges that many people rarely encounter in their lifetime. An orphan living with a single parent since the age of 14, Nuela had always struggled to keep up academically. Growing up in a family struggling to survive, focusing on her academics proved to be a challenge— especially with an uneducated father whose work was toiling. Balancing school and all her responsibilities at home was nearly impossible, so when she earned her Wai Foundation Scholarship it initiated a drastic change in her life as it was one of the best things that had ever happened to her. She still has a long way to go, but she knows she has what it takes to do the seemingly impossible.

Early Life and Education Nuela’s mother became ill and died when she was 14. This event had a devastating affect on her emotional stability. Nuela admits that after her mother passed away, she never had “the chance to enjoy [her] childhood.” Struggling to meet her basic needs, she had braced herself for the obstacles she would continue to face throughout the rest of her teenage years.

Nuela says, “life cannot always be soft,” and emphasizes the importance of moving on from the past. This girl is tough, and she knows she is in control. No matter what, she will not let anything get in the way of her goals.

Inspirational Advice Nuela stands out because of her ability to persist through difficulties. She knows the path she takes is a tough one, yet she pursues it in spite of the adversities. She welcomes difficult opportunities and responsibilities if they help her gain a step closer to her goals. This mindset makes her a monster, for when others shy away in fear and slow their progress, Nuela runs toward the challenge. That is how she gets ahead despite her disadvantages. She articulates her mindset through the idea of “sleepless night.” When everybody is tired, she is still working because she knows this is how she can catch up to the more fortunate kids.

She has built herself up in a way so that she can be the predator rather than the prey. It may sound harsh, but it is the way of the world.

Future Aspirations Nuela wants to be an engineer and contribute to society through service. She understands that the struggles of instability within families from lack of parenting can destroy a child emotionally, which is why she wants to help orphans. Nuela has seen the difficulties of getting a proper education in a poverty stricken country and is determined to raise her homeland out of poverty, bringing plentiful education to all. Nuela also wants to help the misguided school dropouts who don’t understand the importance of school. It is through bringing these dreams to life that she feels fulfilled. She hopes that one day, she can travel to countries like China and the United State of America.

Nuela also has goals for her own character. She wants to be remembered as respectful and appreciative because she believes these are the keys to success and becoming a better human being. Improving her character has become a “duty” for her because of the positivity she brings to the world and the relationships she works to build.

Nuela is currently working to complete her studies with the support of the Dunstan Wai Scholarship. She is grateful for the opportunity.

Happiness and Success

A Message to the World

Nuela describes happiness as being free from suffering, misery, and stress. She, along with the other girls, wishes for the absence of bad things rather than the presence of good. This only emphasizes the scale of their struggles as they know so little good in this world. Success for Nuela is something she achieves at the time she wants it to happen, revealing the urgency she holds toward her goals.

Nuela knows that her country, South Sudan, is loving, caring, and appreciative. Although some may imagine the country as a barren wasteland on which bullets fly day in and day out, Nuela says most of the people are welcoming. Like a beautiful crystal covered by dirt and dust, the country is still full of love on the inside. Nuela wants the world to understand the beliefs of South Sudanese culture, in which having a “heart for humanity” and “helping the needy” are both raised upon pedestals, for they believe these are the things that bring blessings.

by Jonathan Li

Inspirational Advice

IDE GIFT ELUZAI A Tale of Resilience and Hope Introduction Ide Gift Eluzai, a 17-year-old South Sudanese girl, has navigated a life of challenges and perseverance. She is the eldest daughter in her family, born to Abbe Rose and the late Taban Geoffrey, who were farmers in Kajukeji before the war. Alongside her younger sister, Rita Poya, who is now 15, Ide has faced numerous obstacles, ranging from family issues to fleeing a war in South Sudan and settling in Belameling, a camp in Obongi District. Despite these adversities, Eluzai persisted in her education, which allowed her to receive the Dunstan Wai Scholarship to further her career, which she accepted with great joy.

Early Life and Education Ide’s early education began at Belameling Primary School. Shortly after the start of her education, tragedy struck her family: her father had passed away while she was in school. With a physically disabled mother, her family lacked the funds to afford basic needs. Their hardships would only grow as war soon fell upon South Sudan. Soon, she and her family had to move away to Belameling, a camp in Obongi District.

Despite hardship, Ide persisted in her education, moving to Belameling Primary School to keep learning.

From living in the harsh environments of South Sudan to now residing as a student at St. Andrew’s College in the Moyo District of northern Uganda, Ide still faces financial challenges to further her education every day.

However, she has learned from a very young age to do everything she can to earn money for education. She stated: “The best advice I have ever gotten was from my mother, who told me that the only way to improve one’s future is through education”. This wisdom has fueled Ide's determination to succeed academically, as she now works with small businesses during holidays by preparing and selling bread to earn money.

Future Aspirations With a bright future ahead of her, Ide wishes to be able to give back to her community. Ide considers herself very fortunate and that her continued opportunity for education is a gift from God. She knows others do not have the same opportunities as her, which motivates her to step toward and contribute to her community's welfare by promoting education.

Despite financial limitations, Ide dreams of investing in her family's future. Her family has supported her education throughout her years alive, and she wishes to repay them in any way she can.

Happiness and Success

A Message to the World

To Ide, happiness means freedom from stress.

She cherishes it greatly, for there is so little of it in her difficult life. Success, for Ide, means achieving one's goals. For example, her ability to remain in school, thanks to the scholarship program, is a testament to her success. She feels accomplished knowing that her education is secured, and she is excited about the opportunities to study and receive academic materials.

Ide wishes to convey to the people of the United States that in her Kuku culture, women are responsible for providing for their children's basic needs. Thus, girls' education in South Sudan is not prioritized because they are seen as having little value, as they will eventually depart from home to marry. Ide emphasizes that supporting girls' education will empower them to change their communities and futures.

by Jonathan Li

ROPANI GLADYS The Girl Who Fought Against The Current And Won Introduction Ropani Gladys was born in the dark but aims to find light through the darkness by becoming an electrical engineer. Ropani's single mother, who worked blood, sweat, and tears to support her daughter, was the one who initially guided her through the dark. Now, Ropani hopes that someday, she can bring light to more people in South Sudan using the available power resources. Happiness and sorrow have molded Ropani into a hard worker who strives to succeed daily. Interactions with her elders have taught Ropani how to set goals and get better in life.

Early Life and Education South Sudan is under constant division. Only 8 percent of girls are enrolled in school. Despite living in these conditions, Ropani still strives to reach University and pursue electrical engineering to improve living conditions for others. Although this is just the start, Ropani stays motivated by setting goals for herself to become a better person. Ropani finds motivation from her friends as well, providing her with the support she needs by expressing ideas to each other.

Inspirational Advice Ropani’s life has been difficult as she grew up under the care of her grandparents. Her life has been a mix of sorrow and happiness, but the most important thing she's learned is to say, “I can” instead of “I can’t.” Ropani has a dream of reaching university and becoming an engineer. She has a determined mentality: to never give up. Ropani’s family has a rule that everyone should work to achieve. This rule has helped her strive and excel at the next level.

Despite being covered by darkness, Ropani has been illuminated by women like Engineer Winnie Byanyima and Njuki Proscovia. These people help spark Glady’s thoughts and motivate her to help her village by becoming an engineer.

Future Aspirations Ropani is a very hard-working person. Whether it's playing football, public speaking, or in school, she always does her best no matter what. Ropani aims to break the expectations that society has set. She realized her ambition throughout her household discipline. She is very grateful for the Dunstan Wai Scholarship for allowing her to pursue school. Ropani strives to improve her mistakes by realizing her strengths and weaknesses, helping her define her person and character.

Ropani describes her recognition of her strengths and weaknesses as her greatest achievement. It allows her to play life as a game where she holds the advantage.

Happiness and Success

A Message to the World

Ropani’s country is currently at war, yet she finds happiness by sharing views with friends and setting goals for herself. These activities provide her with contentment. Ropani believes success is the realization of a worthy intention.

She prides herself on how she has planned her life and describes this as one of her greatest successes.

The United States does not know much about Africa and often stereotypes the different countries. Ropani wants the people to know that South Sudan is a loving and welcoming community that enjoys visitors. Ropani knows her country believes in fair judgment and working together to overcome problems.

by Isaac Ning

JOAN GLADYS Shattered Beginnings to Unbreakable Dreams Introduction Joan Gladys was born into a family where the love was strong, yet the members separated— like broken glass. Behind each shard of herself, was her grandmother, steady and strong, building the base of Joan’s character with love, discipline, and respect. Behind each shard of her family, there was God, guiding them through the turbulent waters, bringing Joan joy through faith, and laying a path of justice before a girl of great potential.

Early Life and Education Joan says she comes from a humble family.

Her parents separated when she was just one year old, so she was left with her maternal grandmother. Despite the absence of her parents, she still did well in school and earned the scholarship that brought her to Moyo Secondary. Joan is good at heart, for she has been raised in an environment of respect and faith. She kneels in greeting to acknowledge the bond between her family members and prays in joy to feel like a part of something spiritually bigger than herself.

Joan feels accomplished because of her education. Now a student at Moyo Senior Secondary School, she is on her way to becoming a professional, despite all the social resistance and financial challenges.

Inspirational Advice Joan says that the best advice she has ever received is to pray and work toward goals. She says God gives her stability in a life where so little is constant. From prayers, she finds inner peace, acceptance of reality, and strength to move forward. She has faith that her God will guide her through the hardest challenges and make her dreams come true if only she works hard. Her goals give her direction on nights when she begins to question if all the struggle is worth it. Whenever she sees no possibility left and desperately wants to give up, her goals remind her of the reason she started; she realizes giving up is not an option. These superpowers—direction, and faith—allow her to stay consistent on a path that leads against the currents of society.

Future Aspirations Joan aims to change the world as a public servant. She's experienced the struggles of living in a poor country, so she wants to help others like herself in the future. The violence going on around her inspires her to become a politician and make changes to bring peace to her home. Although the strides to reach these goals are large, she will still put one foot in front at a time and make progress milestone by milestone, imploring her goal setting.

Living in one of the poorest countries in the world is an extremely tough challenge for a girl with great aspirations. Although heavily lacking in educational materials, she still appreciates everything she has, especially the Dunstan Scholarship she has worked so hard to earn. The resistance and insults she's faced pain her, but when she returns to her heart-her grandmother, her God, her goals, and everything she's learned--she always gets back up. She knows she is stronger and braver than any hurtful words.

Happiness and Success

A Message to the World

Joan describes happiness as being free from worries. Aspects of privilege that we often take for granted such as education become the source of joy for these girls. As Joan implores us, if only we could appreciate the things we have, then we would be happy! Joan describes success as achieving a goal that one aspires to.

Joan is humble in action but proud of her roots for justice and her prosperous, moral, loving, homeland. She hopes that the world can see her country for its stunning beauty and rich culture, rather than a country drowned in the muck of poverty and violence. She hopes the world can see that despite the struggles of South Sudan, the people are still good at heart.

by Jonathan Li

ANZOO ANNET

However, her family continued to find ways to support her needs, taking all the opportunities they received to raise money for her education as Anzoo kept studying hard. In 2019, their hard work and dedication paid off as the Dunstan Foundation scholarship alleviated this burden.

It allowed Anzoo to focus on her studies without worrying about money.

Inspirational Advice

No Regrets, Only Experience Introduction Anzoo Annet, a 19-year-old Ugandan student, is currently in Senior Five at St. Andrew’s College in Moyo, Uganda. She comes from a family headed by her single mother, and her educational journey has been marked by resilience and determination. With limited funds to support her education path and living in a dangerous environment, Anzoo has faced great adversities that have hindered her life in drastic ways. Nevertheless, in January 2019, Anzoo’s perseverance earned her a lifechanging scholarship from the Dunstan Wai Foundation, which brought immense joy and a sense of security to her educational pursuits.

Early Life and Education Growing up, Anzoo faced several challenges that hindered her journey to success. Where she grew up, night movement was strictly prohibited for women due to the dangers of being kidnapped and assaulted. Anzoo had to be cautious to keep herself safe from others with ill intent. To add to the hardships of living in such an environment, her father’s passing had left her grieved and lacking a father figure. Luckily, her uncle stepped in to provide both financial and material support to ensure she stayed in school.

Anzoo considers the gift of life and protection from God, along with the Dunstan scholarship the best gifts she has ever received. She describes herself as incredibly grateful for such blessed opportunities given to her. Anzoo’s unbreakable focus has helped her get through each obstacle time after time. She never looks back and has no regrets, for she is a hundred percent in the moment, looking ahead through a lens of much experience.

Future Aspirations As she pursues her dream of becoming a successful accountant in the future, she often takes time to reflect on her past blessings and lessons to motivate herself. As a student at St. Andrew’s College in Moyo, Uganda, Anzoo admits there are hardships to being an adult.

However, she is not afraid of the hard work required. Since her youth, her uncle’s advice to work hard to change her family's and country's situation, along with guidance from her mentors, Rufina and Christine, have been a constant source of motivation for Anzoo. To manage her basic needs, she's begun making and selling cookies during holidays to raise money. She has expressed how she considers the gift of life and protection from God, along with the Dunstan scholarship, the best gifts she has ever received. She is incredibly grateful for having such opportunities given to her. She often uses gratitude to help her persist through hardships as a student.

Happiness and Success

A Message to the World

Anzoo’s response, when asked to define happiness and success, stems from the many battles and blessings she has received throughout her life. She views happiness as being free from stress, sorrow, and hurt, and finding joy in activities such as dining with family members and praying. Success, for her, is achieving set goals. She is proud of herself for getting this far in her educational path and receiving a scholarship, but she states that she still has many big and small goals she would like to achieve to increase her success in her perspective.

When speaking about her own country, she only has positive things to say about it. As stated by her, “If I were to tell people around the world about my country, I would tell them about the natural beauty in the country. I would also tell them about the special efforts to promote girl child education in my country.”

She wishes Americans would understand that “our culture has been evolving. Today the culture promotes education of the girls because of the many benefits societies have seen as a result of education.”

NYAKWEA WAI Co-Founder of the Wai Foundation Eunice Nyakwea Wai, the co-founder of the Dunstan Wai Scholarship, has led this organization to do many noble things within South Sudan and Uganda. She supports women who lack the funds for school but are passionate about educating themselves. She has helped hundreds of women from these countries each year, giving them lessons and helping them further their future dreams.

Within several years of running the Wai Foundation, Eunice has found herself growing incredibly fond of what she does. In the beginning, she wanted to honor her husband by impacting a community her husband would have gone out of his way to support if he were still alive. But, as stated in the interview, this job has been a “calling” to her.

After seeing many families from Uganda and South Sudan come out of poverty and being thanked by these people for what she does, she realized her passion for this kind of work.

She stated in the interview that giving a voice and an education to South Sudanese women is what had brought her joy for the past 20 years. Eunice loved seeing the process of young women bringing their families out of poverty, but most of all, she loved seeing the smiles of the families she had helped.

The Wai Foundation was established in 2005 in honor of her husband. Born in Kenya and eventually moving to Uganda, Eunice fell in love with a South Sudan refugee who had escaped the war there. She noted that her husband loved to work for Africa, consistently supporting the people in dire need. To honor her husband's legacy, she started this nonprofit organization to continue the good deeds her husband would have done if he had been alive.

These efforts from Eunice have saved thousands of women overall, and their impact is still increasing. As stated by Eunice, within the past five years, the Wai Foundation has helped hundreds of women in Uganda and South Sudan, the majority succeeding and getting well-paid jobs. Despite this success, Eunice does not intend to stop pushing for growth. She stated she would continue working in this field to improve her organization, as it has given her feelings of fulfillment and happiness knowing she can help not only the poor but also honor her husband's legacy.

For over 20 years, the Wai Foundation has built a reputation for being very successful in helping women, who strive to educate themselves, achieve their goals, and help them grow to be very successful. Supported by many netizens and the World Bank, Eunice uses these funds to create programs that allow South Sudan and Uganda students to gain knowledge relating to which career path they would like to take. Ranging from health work to computer science, Eunice has allowed the Wai Foundation to give these women access to many different career paths.

Visit

DWMCF.ORG to learn more about the Wai Foundation

DANEIL RITCHIE Co-Chair of the Wai Foundation After graduating from Princeton University, Daniel Ritchie joined the Peace Corps in 1960, which sent him to Kenya. He described Kenya as a “transformative experience”, and because of this, he decided to change career paths and dive into economic development. After completing two years as a member of the Peace Corps and helping settle Kenyans into farmlands, he became an employee of the World Bank, where he remained for thirty years. Following his retirement in 1999, he founded the Partnership for Transparency, which fights corruption around the world. He also has a scholarship fund he started in Kenya.

Yet, despite all the crushing resistance against female education, these girls strongly believed that learning was their only path out of poverty.

Daniel called these girls “inspiring” for their tolerance for struggle. It is truly amazing how these girls refuse to conform to the easy path, even when it is so easy to quit.

Daniel reminds us that South Sudan is a country that has just emerged from a civil war. Dunstan Wai himself had to flee from Sudan in 1950 due to the war. The violence continues and adds to the challenge of poverty. These girls have to flee from their homes and often end up in foreign countries just like Dunstan. Some refugees have been stuck in refugee camps for up to eight years. The struggles these people face are scores of times worse than anything people like me have faced, yet they are still here, lively and on their way to success.

Daniel became involved in the Wai Foundation through his colleague Dunstan Wai at the World Bank. Dunstan had always wanted to support girls' education in his hometown of South Sudan, and since Daniel already has experience in the field of non-profit organizations, he agreed to help set up the program. The Wai Foundation looks for three main characteristics, these being poverty, academic promise, and character. From this program, many successful young ladies have emerged despite the extreme challenge.

Daniel also speaks about the importance of scholarships. Dunstan was able to study at both Oxford and Harvard thanks to scholarships, and these helped him succeed throughout the rest of his life. Scholarships release potential hidden beneath fear, poverty, and violence. It is only with this potential that these terrible things can be vanquished.

In South Sudan, it was considered a waste of time and money to attempt to educate girls.

Many young girls were sent off to marry at the age of 14 in pursuit of a bride prize from the groom. Going to school would completely mess up the traditional way of life and cause much unrest in families.

The story of Daniel Ritchie and the Wai Foundation gives us insight into the life of female students in developing countries and shows us that when you truly give everything that you have, anything is possible.

Visit

DWMCF.ORG to learn more about the Wai Foundation

The Contributors THE EXPLORER LEADERS Editor in Chief: April Sheng, 9th grader at McLean High School Journalism Leaders/Editors: Zetong Bian, 12th grader at Bullis School April Sheng, 9th grader at McLean High School Project Manager: Ronny Gattuso, BranchOut! Adult Leader

REPORTERS/INTERVIEWERS - SUMMER 2024 Katherine Xue, 9th grade at Marshall High School Anna Wang, 10th grade at McLean High School Annie Yang , 11th grade at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

ARTICLE SUBMITTERS - SUMMER 2024 Journalists: Isaac Ning, 9th grade at Marshall High School Jonathan Li, 10th grade at McLean High School

Visit

DWMCF.ORG to learn more about the Wai Foundation

WORKS CITED

“The Dunstan Wai Foundation.” Dwmcf.org, 2022, dwmcf.org. Accessed 8 Aug. 2024.