https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog daily 0.75 2026-03-12 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/the-thread-that-holds-a-family-together monthly 0.5 2026-03-12 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/refugee-report-julyaugust-2021 monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/june-2021-refugee-report monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/may-2021-report-to-donors monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/women-are-rising-into-roles-as-peace-builders-and-community-leaders monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/cultivating-women-leaders monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/the-three-pillars-for-2021 monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/standing-strong-with-those-who-suffer monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/refugee-women-fostering-education-pods-during-school-closures monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/womens-empowerment-and-community-organizing-leads-to-peace monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/thriving-amidst-trials monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/uniting-in-peace-covid-19-update monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/covid19-is-the-enemy-peace-is-the-weapon monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1587825625078-4J7WQ97PYPC9AJWB8R4A/handwashing.jpg Refugee Reports - COVID19 is the enemy. PEACE is the weapon. https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/2020-report-to-donors monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1587825332427-JAUAC42K4YTUXOE51IBS/image-asset.jpeg Refugee Reports - 2020 President’s Report to Donors https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/blog/shoot-the-rapids monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/updates daily 0.75 2026-02-11 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/updates/Blog Post Title One-3zaa9-zlxng-xbkmm-slg9s monthly 0.5 2025-12-20 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/updates/blog-post-title-two-t5my5-k4xmd-47fwc-t7m5h monthly 0.5 2025-08-22 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/updates/blog-post-title-three-y3peb-4lwnz-5xrlp-nmsta monthly 0.5 2026-02-11 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/updates/blog-post-title-four-lr658-tcthp-7nadf-kzbf7 monthly 0.5 2025-09-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/home daily 1.0 2026-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1589488415008-EPY6Q8UG59I4Q4LFRK9M/john+1.png Home South Sudanese Leadership and Community Development (SSLCD) is a 501(c)(3) charity organization based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We were founded in 2004 to promote the health and well-being of South Sudanese villagers through grass roots leadership and community development in Mungula and Olua refugee camps in Northern Uganda. We focus on empowering women by assisting them through the birth process with birth assistants and supplies as well as supplemental food provision. We promote economic development through sustainable co-operatives for agriculture, soap making, solar power, sewing and embroidering, and micro loans. We have also trained local leaders as peace builders and trauma healers. Our leadership team in Northern Uganda began their plight as South Sudanese Refugees decades ago. Read their story. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1600433795825-YGMX08DMTMU3EWNGXDE5/SSLCD%2BTeam Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1600433757036-4OVAA5A3SXV83OZVW0ML/SSLCD+Community+Garden Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1600434289764-4DP4NORJGC6SHQXLQYM0/SSLCD+Covid19 Home https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/ourstory daily 0.75 2020-04-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1587823463157-0RMX9J1CG6SMQZR6NQ1A/IMG_6969.jpg Our Story - Our story began in 1994, with the Lost Boys of South Sudan who had resettled in Grand Rapids, MI. South Sudan Leadership and Community Development (SSLCD) began in 1994 in Grand Rapids Michigan as an effort of some of the Lost Boys of Sudan who had resettled in the area to assist the people still living in the Kiir Village where they had been forced to flee as young children. From the beginning, the effort was primarily to empower the people of this village by helping them prioritize their needs and work together as a community to achieve them, with assistance from SSLCD to meet needs that could not be met with their own resources. A pivotal moment in SSLCD’s development came in a meeting with some of the women leaders of the village when we asked how they gave birth to their children. Their answer has always stuck with us: They said simply, “With God.” They explained that they had no assistance of any kind; they went into their tukuls alone with whatever supplies they had on hand. We realized why South Sudan had the highest maternal/child mortality rate in the world, and that empowerment of these women had to start by empowering them to improve the birth process. This led to subsequent efforts to assist these women to improve many aspects of their community. In December 2013, the latest civil war broke out in South Sudan. All of Kiir village was forced to flee to Uganda where they settled in refugee camps set up by the UN. Since then, our work has been focused on two nearby refugee settlements, Mungula and Oula, where most of the people from Kiir Village are now living. https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/ourmission daily 0.75 2020-05-17 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/refugeeleaders daily 0.75 2020-05-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1588684586633-B0EKN1DFT9PTE02YQ4ES/IMG_6974.jpg Our Refugee Leaders - Daniel Kuir Ajak Tobias Keene, D.D.S. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Tobias Keene brings a bit of unabashed Southern hospitality to all his patients. He moved to Washington, D.C. over thirty years ago as a freshman at Ivy College. Right after graduation, he attended World University’s School of Dentistry. Before opening Keene Dental in 1994, he worked for free clinics and some of the finest practices in the District. He is part of the 123 Dental Association and stays up-to-date on the latest dental discoveries. When not striving to keep his patients happy and healthy, he’s enjoys hiking with his family in Rock Creek Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1588685005648-64YNKO9O8A7WUU3VODLR/pastor+simon.jpg Our Refugee Leaders - Pastor Simon Garang Mark Pastor Simon began working for SSLCD in 2016. He is SSLCD”s professional community developer and also a pastor of a local church. He has spent most of his life as a war refugee. Pastor Simon fled war in Sudan at a very young age, in 1986. He lived as a refugee in Ethiopia for four years before fleeing to Kenya due to political instability. In 2005, He was able to return to South Sudan and began rebuilding his life there. Simon left South Sudan to settle in Olua (refugee settlement in Uganda) in 2012, so that his children could attend Ugandan schools. Pastor Simon’s current work with SSLCD includes creating a culture of peace building and developing and facilitating the efforts of SSLCD’s current projects, including the gardening and cattle cooperatives. He also provides trauma healing counseling and assists in supportive efforts for pregnant women and COVID19 prevention. Pastor Simon enjoys spending time with others, and hearing their stories. He often visits those in need in his community. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1588685162577-05ZEJ2LWJZ1O7VDQXHKM/IMG_7203.jpg Our Refugee Leaders - Jacob Ajak Lual Jacob began working for SSLCD in 2016. He is SSLCD”s professional community developer. He began his professional organizing career on the staff of Lutheran World Federation in Jonglei State, South Sudan. Jacob fled Sudan in 1987. He lived as a refugee in Ethiopia and Kenya. In 2005, he returned to South Sudan where he remained until 2013, when civil war broke out in Sudan. He fled to Uganda for safety in 2014 where he settled in Mungula refugee settlement. Jacob’s current work with SSLCD includes creating a culture of peace building and developing and facilitating the efforts of SSLCD’s current projects, including the gardening and cattle cooperatives. He also provides trauma healing counseling and assists in supportive efforts for pregnant women and COVID19 prevention. Jacob enjoys spending time with others and listening to their stories, especially the elderly in the community. Photo: Jacob in his home where a runs a solar powered cell phone charging station for community members https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/donate daily 0.75 2021-10-08 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-08-19 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/subscribe daily 0.75 2020-09-18 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/board daily 0.75 2025-11-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1612207879668-QW79J9GNLLASVNCVVC0S/John+1.png Our Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1612207943914-I8KWDJ1XQ1GR7QDWCIQ4/denise+1.jpg Our Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1612275013691-PIVVP7MQS2PF3RE4XV6F/paula%252B2.jpg Our Board https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1612207998818-3PFH9SOL6PZBG6S5UJ2F/bob+1.jpg Our Board https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/support daily 0.75 2021-04-27 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/support/p/peacebuilder monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1600346798231-U6IF8SFTDF77DLOYFSV9/3.png Support - Peace Builder https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/support/p/grassrootssupporter monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1600346713296-81JDAQZKSEAF754SW1S5/1.png Support - Grass Roots Supporter https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/support/p/communitysustainer monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1600346548467-RX34HGB7W9TF14T0TUSZ/2.png Support - Community Sutsainer https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects daily 0.75 2020-08-20 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects/emergency-birth-preparedness monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1591018832888-B296NQ7KB091ZB2270MJ/mom+and+baby.jpg Projects - Emergency Birth Preparedness - Emergency Birth Preparedness Most women in refugee camps in Uganda give birth at home, on the floor mud huts called “tukuls”. Birth assistants trained by the SSLCD team help prepare women to give birth outside of health centers. Birth assistants follow women through their pregnancy and provide emotional support throughout. When the time is near, SSLCD staff supply a birth kit to to the woman. Birth kits include: Plastic tarp to lay on the ground Gloves for birth assistants Razor blade and string to cut the cord Towel to clean the baby Baby blanket for swaddling https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1591020672533-92ADUNJP7O43G4WU7G4Y/BIRTH.jpg Projects - Emergency Birth Preparedness SSLCD team members distributing birth kits to pregnant women. https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects/cooperatives monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1591020091224-PCGD0RH69WJHEIDGH6WP/women.png Projects - Co-operatives https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects/project-one-3akx9 monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects/project-one-3akx9-4yskk monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects/communitygarden monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1591020371668-4N4LLRPCCTB7UFUOPC5D/GARDEN+.jpg Projects - Agricultural Co-Operative https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects/project-one-3akx9-4yskk-pjnjz-8s7ky-sfky5 monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects/project-one-3akx9-4yskk-pjnjz-8s7ky-sfky5-gyyhx monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://www.hopeforsouthsudan.com/projects/project-one-3akx9-epe9n monthly 0.5 2025-12-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ea4381f90e8f7150ec7e6c9/1588686868151-HPCHJRPGYTFXCW7GSZVH/Photo+Apr+19%2C+12+45+46+AM+%281%29.jpg Projects - Men's Action - Men’s Action Group Most men living in the Mungula and Oula refugee settlements are unemployed. In South Sudan, most men were cattle herders. Raising cattle was a vital part of life in South Sudan, both economically and culturally. In refugee settlements in Uganda, people seldom have the opportunity to own livestock. SSLCD has partnered with men in Mungula and Oula refugee settlements to begin a cattle co-operative, called Men’s Action Group. Cattle raising allows men to take action in their daily life, and regain a sense of purpose and meaning in their families and communities.