2025 Impact Report: What Your Support Made Possible in South Sudan

Thank you for standing with the children, young people, women, and communities who are building a stronger future in South Sudan. The 2025–2026 impact report shows what your support helped make possible, from scholarships and school improvements to farming skills, community programs, and more than 500 job opportunities.

The VAD Foundation was founded in 2006 by Valentino Achak Deng, a former South Sudanese refugee whose life inspired Dave Eggers’ novel What Is the What, together with Dave Eggers. This report reflects a commitment to work shaped by the priorities and efforts of local communities.

Scholarships that help girls continue learning

Over the reporting period, 450 girls benefited from elementary and high school scholarships. The scholarships cover tuition fees and essential learning materials, including computer training.

For girls, being able to continue their education can depend on practical support and the choices families make. The report notes that the scholarship program has incentivized families to prioritize girls’ education. That progress matters, and it has grown through the commitment of students and families themselves.

There are still barriers. Some students face challenges reaching learning centers, and cultural resistance to girls’ education remains in some circumstances. We continue advocacy and community engagement to address these barriers and encourage families and communities to support girls’ learning.

Scholarships are one part of our broader education programs. Your support helps girls access the tuition and learning materials they need to keep studying.

Marial Bai Secondary School: stronger facilities, more room to learn

At Marial Bai Secondary School (MBSS), renovation and expansion work improved the school’s facilities and increased its capacity to enroll over 750 learners.

The work included renovated dormitories, 250 double-decker beds, and 500 fabricated mattresses. Classrooms received student benches with seating for 750 learners. The project also included eight-bedroom staff quarters with verandas, lavatories, and 1,500 meters of chain-link fence.

These upgrades are substantial, but the work is not finished. Funding limitations and bureaucratic hurdles have delayed installation of a solar power system, construction of a water tower, water piping, and the hiring of teachers. These are clear needs for the next stage of the school’s development.

The report points to collaborative funding models as one possible way forward, including partnerships with charitable foundations, corporate sponsorships, international agencies, and local stakeholders. Progress depends on sustained support and cooperation.

“These programs … created over 500 job opportunities for participants and host communities.” — from the 2025–2026 impact report by Valentino Achak Deng

Community programs that make space for learning and peace

Education depends on more than what happens in a classroom. Community radio outreach, workshops, and community-building events have helped raise awareness of the value of education, especially for girls, and promote peace.

The report describes increased participation from alumni, parents, and community leaders who recognize the long-term benefits of education. Their involvement helps keep local voices and experience at the center of these efforts.

Reaching every community remains difficult. Funding constraints, limited infrastructure, and limited transportation make it harder to connect with people in remote areas. Continued engagement can help more families and community leaders take part, while listening to the barriers they identify.

The over 500 job opportunities created across these programs show how education and community work can also support livelihoods for participants and host communities. The report does not break that total down by program, but it underscores the value of investing in opportunities that involve people locally.

Sustainable agriculture and local food production

The Foundation’s sustainable agriculture work trained participants in crop rotation, inter-cropping, and improved use of cash crops. The report records increased agricultural yields among participants.

Farmers continue to face serious practical challenges: erratic weather, flooding, a lack of farm machinery, and limited market access. These issues can make it difficult to maintain production and sell what is grown.

The report proposes cooperative models as one way to address some of these constraints. Working together may help participants make better use of shared resources and improve access to markets. This is an area where future support can help explore approaches that fit local needs.

What we’re still working on, and what your next gift can unlock

This report celebrates real progress without suggesting that every need has been met. At MBSS, solar power, water infrastructure, and teacher hiring remain pending. Girls still face barriers to reaching learning centers and, in some circumstances, resistance to their education. Agriculture and community outreach are affected by weather, transport, infrastructure, and funding limitations.

Your next gift can help the Foundation continue its work across these areas. It can support the ongoing effort to expand access to learning, strengthen school facilities, build practical farming skills, and sustain community programs. The report also identifies collaborative funding as an opportunity to help address outstanding needs at MBSS.

The VAD Foundation’s work is grounded in local participation. Alumni, parents, community leaders, students, farmers, and women all play a role in shaping progress. Support from donors helps make that work possible, while community engagement helps keep it connected to people’s priorities.

Frequently asked questions

How many girls received VAD Foundation scholarships in 2025?

The 2025–2026 impact report says 450 girls benefited from elementary and high school scholarships over the reporting period. The report does not give a separate calendar-year 2025 total.

What was built or renovated at Marial Bai Secondary School?

MBSS dormitories were renovated, and the school received 250 double-decker beds, 500 mattresses, classroom benches with seating for 750 learners, eight-bedroom staff quarters with verandas, lavatories, and 1,500 meters of chain-link fence. The school now has capacity to enroll over 750 learners.

How can I support the VAD Foundation’s work in South Sudan?

You can support the VAD Foundation by making a donation. Your gift helps sustain work in education, school facilities, community programs, and sustainable agriculture.

How you can help

Thank you for helping make this progress possible. Your support can help sustain the work still underway and create more opportunities for communities in South Sudan.

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