WFSS Annual Meeting Celebrates 2012 and Looks to Future

On June 27th, Water for South Sudan, Inc. held its annual meeting.  Board members and other supporters heard Salva and Ater describe another successul drilling season.  Jack McKelvey, Nominating Committe Chair, announced this year's Board member nominees who were then voted in unanimously. Don Fairman was elected Chief Operating Officer, succeeding outgoing Bob Smith. The Board authorized Chris Moore to develop a letter of thanks and Certificate of Appreciation for Bob Smith to recognize Bob's contributions to the organization.  A Certificate of Appreciation was presented to intern and volunteer Tom McCarthy for his exceptional work. 

Treasurer Terry Clas reported on the organization's financial status for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2012.  Contributions continue to flow in from 48 US states to date as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Singapore.

Board Chair Chris Moore thanked WFSS supporters for their generosity in enabling the organization to continue to fulfill its mission.

Moore also described strategic planning and other work underway to strengthen the organization's capacity to serve the people of South Sudan's rural areas. He noted that a Board retreat day, led by an outside facilitator, would be another step in that planning process. (Note: that retreat took place June 30th.)

Salva and Author Linda Sue Park Share Stage with Contributors

On June 15th, at least a couple hundred people attended "Talk the Walk to Water" at Rochester NY's Downtown Presbyterian Church. The audience heard Salva give thanks for all the support the organization has received and report on this year's successful drilling season: 33 new wells completed. That brings our current Water for South Sudan total to 137 wells built since 2005-- an amazing accomplishment made possible by our supporters from 48 US states, Canada, the UK and Singapore.

Linda Sue Park, Newbery Award winner and author of "A Long Walk to Water" based on Salva's life as a "Lost Boy of Sudan," read from that book and talked about how she came to write it.

Linda Sue and Salva answered questions from the audience, following recognition of contributors including Monroe Community College's Human Rights and Genocide Project, the Harley School and Rochester's City School #9.

The evening wound up with audience members socializing during a book signing by Salva and Linda Sue.

Salva Dut Featured Speaker at "A Long Walk to Water"

Salva Dut, president and founder of WFSS, was one of the featured speakers at the Aspen Institute's  7 Billion Conversations that Matter- A Long Walk to Water:  Women, Population and Access to Safe Water.

The Aspen Institute developed this program to discuss the water issues facing the world.  Water is humanity’s most essential need, and yet one third of our planet’s population lacks access to safe water, spreading disease and conflict. As climate change makes draught and disaster increasingly common, leading to melting water sources and wells pumped past the point of renewability, the water we do have is distributed and consumed in a starkly inequitable way.  Watch the entire presentation here.

South Sudan becomes IMF's 188th member country

The Republic of South Sudan joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today when Finance and Economic Planning Minister Kosti Manibe Ngai signed the IMF’s Articles of Agreement at a ceremony in Washington D.C.  “I am happy to welcome the Republic of South Sudan, which today becomes our 188^th member,” IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said.  Read more here.

University of Northern Bahr El Ghazal is "Open for Business"

On March 15, 2012 , the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit opened the new Administration building at The University of Northern Bahr El Ghazal.  The University is a South Sudan public university and is pledged to being a part of the solution to the many developmental challenges of this new country.   Read more here.