ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE IN SOUTHERN SUDAN

October 2007

In early 2004, Ken Ideus and Peter Curran set out to raise funds for a charity by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro . They succeeded both in raising several thousands of pounds and making it to the summit, Uhuru.

Three years later, they find themselves a bit north of Kilimanjaro on another adventure, camped under giant mango trees on the banks of the White Nile . Both Ken and Peter have been involved for a good part of the summer of 2007 in helping build a potentially new country, that of Southern Sudan . After 21 years of civil war between the predominanty Arab Muslim north and the predominantly Black African Christian south, a peace accord was struck, giving the newly established Southern Sudan semi-autonomous status with the potential of full independence in 2011 subject to a referendum.

Working through an NGO, Skills for Southern Sudan, based in Oxford, Nairobi and Juba, Southern Sudan, Ken and Peter have been intensely involved in a range of projects supporting the Ministry of Labour, in developing a sustainable and professional Public Service workforce from senior leaders through to office cleaners and messengers (messengers are required to make up for the current lack of infrastructure – few landline phones and a non-existant internet).

The projects ranged from evaluating the training done thus far over the past two years to building a curriculum and delivery structure, implementing a training data base and running a programme for 30 administrators and managers from 10 states in the process of assessing, designing and arranging delivery of training and education. As project leader, Ken had overall responsibility for three teams with members including directors general, specialist consultants, management professors and faculty from both Kenya and the Sudan, up to 7 spoken languages, and of course a good gender mix. The diversity of the teams was of a nature most of us can only dream of.

The end result may well be a fully fledged Civil Service Institute for Southern Sudan; that is the vision, and it is now well on its way.

This has meant weeks on end living in tents, working in very basic conditions, being jeeped around from place to place and fighting off hoards of malaria carrying mosquitos. “Wouldn’t trade it for the world” is what both would say. “The people have been great, warm and very welcoming. They know they have a huge challenge ahead and welcome the help.”