South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation and one of the hardest places on earth to be a child. In Leer County, Unity State, school buildings double as bombing targets simply because they are the only permanent structures for miles. There are no libraries. School supplies take up to six months to arrive by boat up the Nile. Families face conflict, hunger, and displacement as part of daily life.
And yet, in the middle of all this, something extraordinary happened.
Three students from the schools Alabaster International supports placed in the top 10 nationwide on the national exam. They studied through instability. They sat for their exams during a week when the area was bombed. They showed up anyway.
Their courage demanded a response worthy of their resilience, and that is where the Groundbreakers movement begins.
Honoring Excellence: Scholarships for the Nation’s Top Three Students
This year, Alabaster International launched a historic commitment: full high school scholarships
for the top three students in the nation from Leer County.
These scholarships cover all four years of high school, removing the single greatest barrier to continuing their education for brilliant young people. In a place where secondary school is often out of reach, this is more than financial support. It is a declaration:
Talent exists everywhere. Opportunity does not. Together, we are here to change that.
These three students are not just high achievers; they are symbols of what is possible when a child is given a pencil, a book, a safe place to learn, and someone who believes in their future.
Alongside the top three students in the nation, whose achievements inspired this initiative, we have welcomed four more high-performing children into the scholarship program because of their remarkable academic excellence. These fantastic 7 – they are the future of South Sudan.
Why Groundbreakers Matter
The Groundbreakers initiative is about more than scholarships. It is about rewriting what is possible for children in one of the world's most dangerous regions. This summer, Alabaster International is working to raise $200,000 to reach 40 more schools like those in Leer County.
Your support helps us:
- Provide a full year of school supplies for a child
- Stock classroom libraries
- Plant school gardens that fight food insecurity
- Establish peace initiatives in conflict-affected communities
- Strengthen literacy, leadership, and resilience among students
- Expand access to safe, quality education for thousands of children
- Provide scholarships for high-achieving students to continue their high school education.
Every gift, whether $5 or $50,000, becomes a lifeline in a place where education is both fragile and fiercely fought for.
A Future Worth Building
When the world looks at Leer County, it often sees conflict. We see something else entirely.
We see students who walk miles to school. Teachers who refuse to give up. Communities who rebuild again and again. Children who rise to the top of a nation despite every obstacle.
And now, we see three young scholars, the top three in the country, stepping into high school with full scholarships and a future wide open before them.
They are the reason we keep going. They are the reason Groundbreakers exists. They are the reason hope still grows in South Sudan.