Annah Angeth Awan, honor student at Tong Pagook Primary School in South Sudan
In South Sudan, only 1 percent of girls finish primary school and over 90 percent of all women are illiterate (UNICEF). For most young girls an education is only something they dream about, but 16-year-old Annah Angeth Awan is determined to beat the odds and become the first in her family to become a female doctor.
“I want to work in a hospital as a female doctor helping my people…If I follow my education [it] will allow me to know the whole world, be able to plan for my future and know what is going on,” she tells Carol Rinehart, founder of Project Education Sudan. “I love books and all subjects,” raved Angeth, who was happy to read anything Carol and the PES crew would give her during their recent visit to the region, including TIME Magazine from cover to cover.
Angeth is currently enrolled in Project Education Sudan’s fourth school, Tong Pagook Primary, where she impresses everyone with her confidence and drive, “You know when it’s different,” explained Carol, whose seen hundreds of girls with the same ambitions, but not with as much certainty and determination as Angeth.
Much of Angeth’s dedication can be attributed to the daily support she receives from her brother and mother. After her father was killed during the twenty-year civil war in Sudan, Angeth and her family were forced to move from their village to Pagook. Here Angeth was enrolled in PES’s primary school, where she quickly rose to the top of the class. The family recently faced the difficult decision to return to their home, which has now become safe again, or remain in Pagook. For the sake of Angeth’s education and future, the family decided to stay so Angeth can continue on her journey of becoming a doctor.
Angeth’s promising future is a true testament to the hard work and dedication of Project Education Sudan, who serves as a catalyst for change in this region by not only providing infrastructure, but empowerment to a new generation of young girls dedicated to improving the world. Find out more about our South Sudan partner on their directory page.
