Thank you for your long-term perspective on and work with Sudan. Access to clean water is the #1 issue and saves more lives than any other endeavor! There are constant tribal issues between the Dinka (36% of the population) and Nuer (15.6%) - and it never seems to end! One of our guys (Dinka) has returned to S. Sudan several times to locate nieces (successful except for one still missing) who were kidnapped (an ongoing act of violence) by Nuer a couple of years ago. And S. Sudan being the youngest country in the world is also the poorest - the problems are overwhelming and the ongoing dynamics (political, tribal economic, etc.) are complicated and deeply ingrained.

Through a couple of nonprofit organizations, I have been involved with outside of Boston; one is still in operation - South Sudanese Enrichment for Families (SSEFboston.org) various types of support has been provided to the families here -constantly changing as the demographics change. A number of local S. Sudanese (and some who moved to Australia) support various infrastructure projects such as water, health, and education. Of course, they all send money to family members back home - too often I cringe to think where those funds end up! There is the next generation of individuals who are highly educated, and I believe will help to have a positive influence in S. Sudan. Interestingly enough, women are becoming a very visible force - a complete cultural shift and again where I think positive influence will happen.