Building for the future

Education is the focus of Building Minds in South Sudan. Brick and mortar school are literally the foundation from which we grow. Schools create a sense of community and a place for engagement and empowerment. What started with one school has quickly blossomed into many. Over three hundred high school graduates have gone on to college; two women have returned to teach at Ajong their primary school. Some others have positions with the government.

Ajong Primary School

Ajong Primary School was the first school built by Building Minds in South Sudan. There were 240 boys attending “under tree” school when construction began. Two years later when the school was completed, there were 959 boys and girls attending. Sebastian insisted girls be allowed to attend schoo. Up until then no girl or woman was allowed to be educated in Mayen-Abun. To this day Ajong is the largest primary school in all of South Sudan.

Majok-Keen Girls School

Majok-Keen All Girls School was the next school built by BMISS at the request of parents who wanted their daughters to attend a girls-only school. Today 893 girls attend Majok-Keen, and it is the only public girls primary school in South Sudan.

This school has a female principal, funded by the Bill Cook Foundation. She is the only female principal of a public school in the country. All of the teachers are also female.

Bill Cook High School

Before the Bill Cook high school was built, a village student’s education ended after 8th grade. The school is named in his honor because his foundation was the primary donor. …. There are now 455 students enrolled.

Laima and King Beck High School for Girls

This school is the only all girls public high school in South Sudan. It is also the largest school in Mayen-Abun with fifteen classrooms and 1038 students. A library will soon be added to the campus.

Laima and King Beck generously to the educational, agricultural and entrepreneurial initiatives in the village. This girls high school has been named in their honor.