Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Our organization would like Jacob to come and speak to us. How can we arrange for this to happen?
A. Contact Jacob directly, at forgottenchildren AT hotmail DOT com
Q. Can Wadeng Wings of Hope give a receipt to use for income tax purposes?
A. We have applied to Canada Revenue Agency for our tax status, but it has not yet been granted. We expect that will happen soon.
Q. I do not live in Halifax, but would like to do volunteer work for Wadeng. How can I get involved?
A. You could start a fundraising group in your community. If you need assistance, you can e-mail wadengwoh@hotmail.com or phone (902) 404-3380.
Q. Do people in Southern Sudan really want goats?
A. Jacob has spoken with elders in his home community, and they have assured him that they do want goats.
Q. You have a campaign called “brick by brick” but are bricks in fact the best building material for a school in Southern Sudan? Why not use wood?
A. Bricks actually are the best building material. Bricks can be made from clay locally, and clay is much more abundant than the very scarce wood.
Q. Who drills wells (or bore holes) in Southern Sudan?
A. Various organizations drill wells, and the most active one is the NGO Pact Sudan, which works with reliable contractors. We will be making our arrangements with Pact Sudan, and will be certain that way of all the quality control factors.
Q. Which other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are active in the Duk Padiet area of Southern Sudan?
A. These NGOs work in and around Duk Padiet: Norwegian People’s Aid, Lutheran World Federation, Carry American Relief Everywhere, Duk Women Resource Centre for Development, and Development Frontiers for Southern Sudan.
Q. Are there other organizations similar to Wadeng active in Southern Sudan?
A. Aside from the large NGOs, of which there are many, there are small groups like Wadeng, such as Project Education Sudan based in Denver, or CASS (Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan).
Q. Are there still civil war and militia attacks in Southern Sudan, as there are in Darfur?
A. The peace accord of January 2005 ended the civil war, but that has not succeeded in stopping the activities of all the militias. Generally, though, peace has returned to the South. The elections slated for 2008 and the referendum on independence for the South which is expected in 2011 will not necessarily happen without conflict.
Q. Are there many Lost Boys of Sudan in Canada?
A. Unlike the United States, which set up a special refugee program for Lost Boys and accepted over 3,500, Canada has had no similar program. Lost Boys who came to Canada did it through regular refugee or immigration channels, and the number is fairly small.
Q. I would like to know more about the Lost Boys of Sudan. What should I read?
A. Here are a few books: The Lost Boys of Sudan: An American Story of the Refugee Experience, by Mark Bixler (University of Georgia Press, 2005); God Grew Tired of Us, by John Bul Dau (National Geographic, 2007 – also made into a documentary film); They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan, by Benson Deng, et al (Public Affairs, 2006).
