South Sudan at Heart

More computers at the university in a sorry condition By: Abraham Daljang Maker. Nkumba University is one of the largest private university in Uganda, located 27 kilometer from Kampala city. Like any other university, Nkumba University has many courses that make the use of computers. All the faculties at the campus have at least one or two course units in computer. There are four computer laboratories with the total of 174 computers. However, most of these computers are in a sorry condition.   You find that about two to three students are crowded on one computer when attending the lecture.   Besides that, the university internet is the worst of all; a few of these computers are connected to internet which makes it hard for students to do their research; in most cases students who don’t have laptops quarrel over internet connected computer. Those with laptops also suffer with their course works because the wireless internet is too slow to extend of not even opening up...

Beggars have no choice. By: Abraham Daljang Maker. I was brought up in a Christian family. Having got my baptism in an infant age, I got used to the words of God and believe in what the Bible says.  In those days when I was a child, my maternal aunt would call us to pray together before going to bed. As a Christian, I read my Bible in my dialect and my favorites verses are psalm 23 and Matthew Chapter 7 verse 7. This particular chapter talks about asking God whatever you need and it shall be given to you. This means that God can help us when you ask him for anything.    When I attended church service last week, the main theme was taken from the very book of Matthew chapter seven and the preacher talked about asking and believing that God shall grant the request. The emphasis was put on asking and believing and the word really touched my heart, I had listened to many sermons since my childhood about this message. Indeed I have been making request and God gives me ...

It‘s not Ghanaians’ problem alone In your latest issue, I read Elizabeth Ohene’s article about the difficulties Ghanaians have with French language. I agree with some of the theories she puts forwards to be the factors behind inability to speak french fluently; but I think French language is generally difficult to be easily grasped. Take my case as an example; I started learning French when I joined university in 2009 with the hope that by the end of my three years at the university, I will be able to speak and write it very well.   To my dismay, it’s about six months now to finish bachelor degree in journalism. But I can’t even interview a person in Kinshasa in French let alone taking a tour in Paris.   Despite all these difficulties I am facing in speaking it, I am able to score 75% and above and you wonder how I can do well in examination and can’t speak the language. It will be so embarrassing to see my transcript with an A in French which I can not even chat with Co...

Pray in a way that is convenient to you. Abraham Daljang Maker, Kampala Uganda The mode of prayers I have so far seen since 2003 the year I set my foot on Ugandan soil are still fresh in my brain. Although I was born in a village, I had a chance of being baptized in a small town called Akot which could be just a small trading center in advanced world. My mother Rebecca took me for baptism at the age of five. She asked me to choose my Christian name and I said that. “Abraham is my name.” I had no idea of what the name mean until 1999 when I read it in the Old Testament.  Episcopal church of Sudan ECS is where my mother used to pray till 2007 when I learned that she is one of mother unions in Anglican Church. Being a Christian, I used to pray in Anglican of Uganda since it’s the main church and which is a bit related to ECS.  My colleague called me one day to go and attend three days conference in Arua youth center. That was in April 2003 if I can still remember it ver...

Give a girl child the rights to education By: Abraham Daljang Maker. Kampala Uganda Sudan has been torn apart by constant civil wars for many decades. As the country is recovering from its war hangover, there are several things that need to be put into consideration urgently. One of these things is the rights to take a girl child to school. Although an old Roman proverb says that “Rome was not built in a day,” the issue of girl child learning is very sensitive, it needs a critical observation and prompts action before it gets out of hands. Education for women has been neglected in the country especially in the South Since the time of Adam and Eve. Women are very influential and educating them can bring development in the nation. Like any other person; a woman has potential and can do anything that man does, the world’s powerful women like Angela Merkel of Germany. Hilary Clinton and Ellen Johnson of Liberia should be taken as role models by our fathers; I can imagine what it fee...

South Sudan government should prioritize the environmental conservation.  By: Abraham Daljang Maker, Kampala Uganda Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as water, air and soil. It is the destruction of ecosystem and extinction of wildlife.   There are many bad practices that should be discouraged if we need to live in a happy environment.   It is our collective role to educate the masses about the dangers of the environmental mismanagement. The media is a platform on which all these should be aired out in order to create full awareness. There are many forms of degrading environment and one of them is bush burning.   Bush burning is a practice done by pastoral communities in search for pasture to feed the animals.   Many people especially the common men in many countries in Africa who rear animals and others who farm the land know nothing about the greatest dangers of bush burning. The...