The microfinance institution I have been working with, through Kiva, is called BRAC, Building Resources Across Communities. Since 1972, BRAC has been tackling the various dimensions of poverty through its holistic approach to poverty alleviation. BRAC has programs in economic and social development, health, education, and human rights and legal services. Operating in several countries all over the globe, BRAC is one of the world’s largest NGOs. 

Here in Sudan, BRAC has been instrumental in providing the country with the assistance it needs. BRAC has opened 25 primary schools, lent approximately 1.5 million US dollars to nearly 14,000 borrowers, and has educated countless people on how to maintain healthy lifestyles. BRAC Southern Sudan’s microfinance program is targeted towards returning war refugees, many of whom come back to Sudan with very close to nothing.   

 BRAC Southern Sudan has been able to include nearly 150 Sudanese locals within its staff. The following interview is of Ohsio John, one of BRAC’s IT Specialists, who is linked to the world through Kiva. 

What originally started as a college senior’s feeble attempt to plan his future has finally become a reality: I am now in Sudan. After a 21-hour flight from Los Angeles to Uganda, three days of waiting in Uganda to get a Sudanese visa, and a one hour (scary) flight from Entebbe to Juba, I finally made it into the country that I will be calling “home” for the next several months.

My home does not have running water or electricity; a candle has now become my new best friend. I do have a shower, an amazing shower that slowly drips the Nile’s water from a tank on the roof to the top of my head. Although my new home isn’t as comfortable as my home in California, it is definitely habitable. At first, I was constantly plagued with the idea that there was no way I could ever live in such conditions. But as I continue to remind myself that nearly half of the world’s population, over three billion people, lives on less than $2.50 a day, I realize that life in Sudan won’t be too difficult.

Throughout the course of my fieldwork, I will be interviewing various people who are pertinent to my experiences here in Sudan. In order for you to fully understand the context in which the stories are provided, I have created a small video outlining a fraction of Sudan’s lengthy history. Having some knowledge about Sudan’s past will allow for a better understanding and appreciation for the situations the Sudanese people are currently facing.

ankush.dhupar@fellows.kiva.org

ankush.dhupar@fellows.kiva.org

Please watch the video

ankush.dhupar@fellows.kiva.org