South Sudan

Quick Facts

Humphrey Fellow Elizeo Joseph Odu

Capital Juba

President Salva Kiir Mayardit

Population 11.3 million

Country Size slightly smaller than Texas

Major Religion African Traditional, Christianity, Islam

Population Below Poverty Line ($1.25/day)

50.6%

Life Expectancy at Birth

54.6 years

Education Adult literacy rate: 27 %

Compulsory schooling: age 6 - 13 Academic year: February-

December

Officially declaring independence in 2011, South Sudan is one of the world’s newest countries and most linguistically diverse. It is the home of Boma National Park, a vast expanse of wilderness that houses several types of wildlife including zebras, gazelles, and antelope.

Mr. Odu hails from the capital city of Juba where is a Project Manger for the Adventist Development and Relief Agency. Interested in improving access to education for females and uniting the educational system in South Sudan, he plans on studying educational policy and best teaching practices during his Humphrey year in order to coordinate professional development opportunities for in-service teachers upon his return. Official Language: English

Although the official language is English, there are more than 60

indigenous languages widely spoken, the most common of which is Dinka,

along with Arabic.