Water for South Sudan: A Heroic Cause Connects with Middlesex

In preparation for Salva Dut’s virtual arrival at Middlesex, Nik breaks down his courageous story of providing safe water for South Sudan.

Salva Dut, the founder of Water For South Sudan, runs a non-profit organization that provides sustainable quality-of-life services to the people of South Sudan by drilling wells that provide safe water and improving hygiene practices in areas of need. When he joins us for lunch over Zoom on the 25th in the Barron Room this month, he will provide insight into the plights, prosperity, and promises of his work and past. 

Salva was born in a South Sudanese village as a part of the Dinka tribe. At 11, the Sudanese Civil War forced him from his village into a journey no child could prepare for. He became one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, seeking refugee camps and fleeing out of fear for his life. Throughout his journey to escape his war-torn home country, death surrounded him as he struggled to cope with the unknown state of his family, the death of his uncle to a rival tribe, and the mass slaughtering of those around him. In addition to Salva's journey, Linda Sue Park, an Asian-American author, uses a fictional story of a girl from Salva's village, Nya, to depict the struggles of women to support their families, the desperation for clean water, and the sacrifices Nya makes to bring her family water.  

After living in refugee camps for ten years and walking hundreds of miles at a time without food or water, Salva was given the opportunity to move to the United States, where a family in Rochester, New York graciously took him in. Several years later, Salva learned that his father was still alive in Southern Sudan but was suffering from a disease caused by waterborne parasites, sparking his desire to help his father and his home country by bringing clean water to those in need. In addition to his emphasis on clean water, Salva wanted to uplift the state of his country, bringing education and sanitation to the villages of South Sudan as well. These desires for change sparked the creation of Water For South Sudan, or WFSS.

The main goal of WFSS is to build wells that sustain a village of a couple hundred people by pumping 1,800 gallons of water daily. Through donations and fundraisers, WFSS has drilled more than 650 wells since 2005, rehabilitated more than 400 older wells, and continues to provide hygiene education training in every village they serve. In 2021, the Water for South Sudan Foundation was established as a South Sudan Non-Governmental Organization, opening opportunities for partnerships with UNICEF, Norwegian Church Aid, and The Carter Center. WFSS aims for sustainability in all they do. Community members are involved throughout program implementation to ensure the sustainability of their work.

In addition to their direct impact on 300,000 people in South Sudan, the organization has educated millions, raising awareness around the lack of basic needs in third-world countries. Representatives of WFSS have given talks worldwide, using the story of Salva and Nya to shed light on the plights of the South Sudanese. The retelling of Salva's story, especially from his own account, emphasizes the need for change within these communities that lack essential resources. Before lunch on the 25th, there will be a Google form to sign up for this discussion (to know how much pizza to buy): I hope to see you all there.

Nik Rizvi