The Candle, who burns for giving light for others

My name is David Mabior Bol * and I am 52 years old. I have worked as teacher in South Sudan for more than 29 years.

Before the war broke out in December 2013, I was a History and English language teacher at Malakal Secondary School, in Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile State.

Even though we heard that there were conflicts and power struggle among the political elite of the country, I never thought it would be a full scale war like this one.

Many people were killed in the streets and in their houses. My brothers and many of my close relatives who were physically fit immediately joined the fight. I was left at home with 19 members of our extended family, mainly women and children, to take care of them.

But the war didn’t identify those involved and those who don’t. Many innocent people who have nothing to do with the conflict were killed in masses. We have to move out from the town as bullets can’t differentiate people. 

I went to the UNIMES compass in Malakal with all my family. They gave us shelter and food. But later when the war was intensified I understood that we can’t stay in that area.

After a long journey on foot [and sometimes by car and by boat whenever possible] we reached the border town of Ethiopia. We were registered and transferred to the refugee camps in Leitchour and later when the camp was over flooded, we were transferred to Jewi Refugee Camp here.

When I heard that there are schools for children I brought some of my children for registration. They told me however the school is already overcrowded but promised me they will call me when a school in a new site is opened.

A few weeks later they called me to register the children. After registration, I told them that I am a seasoned teacher and volunteered to teach the children in the camp. Even though I was a high School teacher for a long time I told them “a shepherd for cows can take care of the goats.” They gave me some tests and interview and we agreed.

Save the Children staffs, which are running the school gave us trainings and provides us with pocket money as incentives.

They also provide students with stationary materials including exercise books, text books, pens and pencils. They have also established us little library and provide different reference and text books for student to support their education.

Most of the children we teach here are those who run away from the war. They have seen people including their relatives and loved ones killed. Beyond the main regular class we have establish an “English Language Club” where children can get extracurricular skills and knowledge. The club supports them to improve their language. They also learn and practice making dramas and different kinds of entertainments. This enables them to create a more informal and close relationships with their classmates and teachers. They can discuss any issues they encounter and feel. The club helps children to forget the past and heal their wounds.

Save the Children has been providing great support in relation to children’s education. They [their staffs] are here every day with us solving each problem we are facing.

Despite this support however we have shortage of class rooms. Children are overcrowded in some grades. We are working in morning and afternoon shifts to alleviate the challenge. We kindly request if they can build us additional classrooms. Working in two shifts we don’t have time to prepare the lessons in the day time; we can’t either prepare them in the night as we don’t have any lights in out tents. We also would like to have a water tanker in the school for children and of course, teachers.

I strongly believe that everything has a beginning and an end. I hope the peace process will be facilitated and the war will end soon. There will be peace in our country and we will return back home and live peacefully. I want to end my life teaching children. As they say a teacher is candle, who burns to give light to others. I want to serve my people until I am done.

 Save the Children, with the support from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) and Comic relief under the program “Learning beyond borders: Providing education to refugee and displaced children and youth in South Sudan and Ethiopia”, is providing the necessary supports to the refugee camps school centers in Gambella.