Donation gives local Sudan school-building charity a boost - WebsterPost.com

It’s taken three years to raise the funds, but Building Minds in Sudan can take another step forward in its effort to educate children in Africa.

Thanks to a $15,000 grant from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Rochester, the charity can add two new classrooms to one of its school buildings in the nation of South Sudan.

Most village children who attend school are forced to sit outdoors while their teachers give lessons. Earlier this year, the non-profit donated enough funds to build the foundation for two school buildings in a local village, but only had enough to complete two classrooms.

“By mid-May, we’ll have four classrooms ready when the rainy season begins,” said volunteer Judy Shwartz, who sits on the board of directors for Building Minds.

The charity was first founded three years ago by Sebastian Maroundit, a “Lost Boy” who came to the U.S. at the age of 22.

He and thousands of other children were was driven out of Sudan by a and bloody civil war that, more or less, ended last year when South Sudan declared independence.

Since then, he has partnered with his cousin, Mathon Noi, and a group of Rochester area volunteers to raise funds to help educate children in the new nation as it works to rebuild.

And it’s making a difference.

In an earlier interview, Sebastian said the response from the local residents has been incredibly positive.

“Already there are people knocking at our door waiting for a school,” he said.

Rev. Fred Reynolds, of Brighton, is the rector at St. Paul’s Church. He helped tutor the two Lost Boys and was among many touched by their story.

So, when it came time for the church to sponsor a new cause, the choice was clear.

“We’re going to be giving children who will never see the opportunity of education that we have in America.”

And as for Sebastian, “We want to help him to become a leader in South Sudan.”

To learn more about Building Minds in Sudan, visit buildingmindsinsudan.org.