About John Lwong

This is how John is a Changemaker:
Southern Sudan in general and Upper Nile State civil society in particular have been highly structured and organized. However, years of civil war stymied possibility of natural evolution to modern systems. The violence resulting from civil war caused massive displacements and destruction. Hence, even though the implementation of the CPA is in motion, the civil society initiatives has become exceedingly weak, a situation that is aggravated by a largely illiterate leadership. Demobilized, but not effectively disarmed, young men who were denied adolescence, creates dangerously militarized, inadequately educated or illiterate cadres of community leaders. Hence, it is crucial that the youth in general and leaders in particular be trained in peaceful ways of handling public affairs and conflict. More than three years since the signing of the CPA in Kenya in 2005, the people at the grassroots in Southern Sudan do not know its content. They are eager to know the content of the CPA so that they can make an informed decision after the interim period, which will expire in less than 3 years from now. Secondly, Southern Sudanese are being asked to embrace self rule, and the rule of law concepts that have never existed in Southern Sudan. Therefore the need for massive civic education in the region cannot be over-emphasized. Thirdly, Southern Sudanese urgently need to be mobilized for effective disarmament of armed civilians, demobilization of child soldiers and reintegration IDPs and refugees. FYF’s main constituency is young people of Southern Sudan in general and Upper Nile State in particular. This is a group that has borne the brunt of the civil war: those in the country have never known peace; those in the Diaspora have never known peace of mind. The proposed programme offers the possibility for solidarity, expressed through the sharing of knowledge and skills between the two groups of young people; it will offer scope for exploration of common vision for Southern Sudanese society

The place for which John feels a fondness or connection:
In every society, the school is the most important institution that contributes to the formation and development of the child. It offers coverage and continuity to fulfill health integrated proposal linked to education. In addition, as a public institution, the school has the capacity to offer "integral care to the child." The school is also the space where children and youth may receive attention to their diseases and health education towards promoting a better quality of individual and collective life. The school and the educator may contribute to the curriculum diversity including health and sanitation topics as a sine qua non condition of "education for life." It is the educator who transmits knowledge, inculcates habits, practices, and values related to health care and the environment. He/she can modify erroneous concepts on health care and detrimental traditional practices related to health or the environment. The teacher together with the students can generate productive projects that give sustainability to the Health and School Sanitation Program. In addition, the school gathers together authorities, teachers, students, and parents. The school, as part of the community, is concerned with those living around and in this sense it is an organization opened to extracurricular activities to extend the principles it claims. Working from the school, we work for the community. Training educators and children on health promotion, we form agents of change and we affect the reduction of diseases, preparing a generation for a better life and contributing to the development of the entire community. It is relevant to recall that only a few of the educators have been trained in the traditional curricula, and there is still quite a lot to do. According to a World Bank study, investment in education has a higher yield than investment in physical capital. Four years of elementary education tend to increase an average of 10% in agricultural productivity. In that regard Fashoda Youth Forum (FYF) identified schools and health care centres for the demonstration of institutional based toilets in the county and a way of lifting people up the sanitation ladder.

The change John passionately wants to happen:
All of us are influenced by our situations and our culture. Our beliefs about hygiene and how illness is spread depend very much on what we learn as we grow up. However, our beliefs can change as we learn new information. Many people in Southern Sudan have no access to sanitary facilities: If people do not have access to latrines, then burying faeces in the ground is a simple step that will improve hygiene. It will reduce people’s risk of contact with faeces. Building and using latrines is a really important way of reducing the risk of spreading microbes and worms among our family and neighbours. They also improve household well-being and safety, especially for women and children. Families should be able to take pride in their latrine, knowing how much using a latrine will improve their family’s health. Using latrines will prevent flies, pests and animals having any contact with faeces so they cannot spread microbes into our homes, food or children. It is important to keep latrines clean, so that people will want to use them. The floor can be washed regularly with soapy water left over from washing. Place a tippy tap and soap by the entrance for hand washing.