South Sudan’s story cannot be separated from war, displacement and survival. After decades of conflict and the long struggle that eventually led to independence in 2011, many communities were left carrying deep scars. Families lost loved ones, livelihoods disappeared and entire generations grew up surrounded by instability.
Today, South Sudan remains one of the world’s most fragile nations. Years of conflict, instability and economic hardship continue to affect daily life for many families. In the Aweil region, poverty and limited opportunities often place education out of reach, with many children unable to attend school because families cannot afford fees, uniforms or basic learning supplies.
For Pastor Paulino Malou Bol, founder of Christian Mercy International (CMI) South Sudan, these realities are not statistics or distant problems. They are the struggles he sees every day within his own communities.
“The local Church has responsibilities which are beyond the four corners of the local churches,” Paulino shared.
Through Christian Mercy International, Paulino and his team are working across the Aweil region to support vulnerable children through education, discipleship, church planting, leadership training and community care. At the centre of this work is a belief that education can help interrupt cycles of poverty and give children a future beyond survival.
But the challenges remain severe.
According to Paulino, many families continue to face food shortages, lack of clean water, insecurity, limited medical care and almost no reliable employment opportunities. Children are often among the first to suffer.
“Some families are depending on wild fruits and leaves of trees as their food,” he said. “Such families could not send their children to school.”
One of Christian Mercy International’s most significant projects has been Emmanuel Orphan Primary School in Marialbaai. The school first began under trees, where lessons were constantly interrupted by rain, animals and people crossing through the grounds. Books were damaged during storms and learning often had to stop altogether.
Today, that has changed.
A proper school building has transformed the environment into a safer and more stable place for learning, with around 1,200 children now attending. The improved facilities have also allowed the World Food Program to support feeding initiatives at the school, helping students continue their education with greater consistency.
“The school will continue during rainy periods,” Paulino said. “No more fear of wild dogs coming across the school.”
Alongside education, Christian Mercy International has also introduced goat projects to support vulnerable families caring for orphans and children with disabilities. Families receive goats to help generate income for school fees, uniforms and daily needs.
One caregiver, Mary, told Paulino she had already calculated how the future profit from the goats could help support her child all the way through high school.
So far, the project has supported 80 children through their families, with each receiving three goats. Across 10 non profit community and church based schools in the Aweil region, more than 3,500 children have been enrolled, including around 2,000 girls.
For Paulino, this mission is deeply personal.
After his father was killed during the Sudanese civil war, Paulino spent part of his childhood in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, where he was supported through sponsorship as an orphan child. Returning to South Sudan later in life, he saw many children facing the same pain and vulnerability he once experienced himself.
“When I came home I saw many orphans around that needed support, and no one was paying attention to them,” he said.
That experience continues to shape his calling today.
“I am called to shine God’s light to the dark world in South Sudan,” Paulino said. “Above all, we are living by faith.”
In a nation still recovering from conflict and hardship, Christian Mercy International is helping vulnerable children access education, supporting families facing poverty and strengthening communities through the local church.