Our Vision
Libraries are the Nexus of Equal Opportunity.
The South Sudan Library Foundation believes that a library is a space where: parents can safely leave their children; the bullied can go for sanctuary; the homeless for shelter; the addicts for substance-free refuge; the unemployed for job assistance; the impoverished for marketable skill set development; and for the immigrants—a place to learn a new language—to help adjust to their new home. We believe that the library is the greatest gift—to those willing to seek it—to learn from.
Kevin T. Lenahan
Co-Founder/ CEO
A family receives their first book in Juba, South Sudan.
Our Organization
Our History
Purpose
South Sudan, the world’s newest country, is in dire need of development. The South Sudan Library Foundation fervently believes in the power of access to education to shape nations and their citizens’ lives. The South Sudan Library Foundation seeks to be a catalyst for educational development by serving as a resource hub for the curious minds.
Organizational Background
In 2019, The South Sudan Library Foundation registered in Juba through the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission as a South Sudanese National NGO to improve literacy by offering South Sudanese residents a library resource for self-development.
The South Sudan Library Foundation is a national non-governmental, non-political, voluntary, and not-for-profit organization registered with the Relief and South Sudan Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC) under certificate no. 2031 as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). The South Sudan Library Foundation DUNS is #989994936, and its NCAGE is SJTJ0. According to the principles and objectives laid down in its constitution, the foundation promotes social welfare and charity by mobilizing private resources. Since its inception, the South Sudan Library Foundation has grown from 2, to over 100 volunteers, participants, and employees over the past 3 years.
On October 1, 2019, the Juba Public Peace library, established in a leased 2-story building and housing over 13,000 books, was opened to the public. Over the past 2 years, the library received over 200 guests per day, with two librarians, two volunteers, and one security guard to run daily operations.
The Juba Public Library—with the support of the U.S. Embassy, Juba—expanded services and resources, which now included clean water, electricity, WIFI, additional textbooks, paid staff, and rent for the leased building. With the small injection of funding, the library has gained popularity.
In early 2021, the South Sudan Library Foundation partnered with the Kendita Initiative, an organization founded by two Fulbright Scholars who conduct leadership development programs in the library three times a week for ~25 students, providing them with guidance and leadership growth. Additionally, the South Sudan Library Foundation runs a Womens’ and Girls’ Program that meets once per week out of the library and is led by Frances Cameron, a Non-Executive Director for the South Sudan Library Foundation.