The Society of Professional Journalists at UTM hosted “Seeing South Sudan Through an African’s Eyes” Thursday, April 10.
The keynote speakers at the event included Dr. Trisha Capansky, Professor Lemmy Ejorewoia, and Pierre Mopo Gonhameu. Ejorewoia and Pierre Mopo spoke about their experiences in Africa.
Ejorewoia spoke specifically about his experiences from 2000-2004 when he was a teacher at the Lost Boys Kakuma Refugee Camp, and why America should still care about South Sudan. This also related to the presentation that took place shortly beforehand, “Developing Mobile Telephone and Internet Usage in South Sudan,” which was presented by Dr. Capansky.
Ejorewoia was originally hired by the United Nations to teach English, Art, Music and Physical Eduaction at the refugee. He taught the lost boys who lived had moved to Kakuma from Etheopia in 1992.
The first group arrived in 1989, but sheltered at the shores of Lake Turkana. He quit his job to help the lost boys, and after a few short years he became project manager and completely restructured the lost boys’ refugee camp.
Ejorewoia sees America as the only single champion of justice.
“Her motive is not revenge or assertion of physical might of the nation by only vindication of rights, human rights,” Ejorewoia said.
He says that we need to come together and volunteer in Africa so that we can see the problem with our own eyes, and help with our own hands. He emphasized that he believes if we come together we can voice a just and fair world, and if we do that then no one will go hungry.
Dr. Capansky’s presentation, which was also put together by Dr. Connie Eigenmann who was not in attendance, talked about the struggle of developing South Sudan into the Digital Age.
Early studies indicated that 18 percent of households had a mobile phone, and less than one percent of the population owned a computer. She discussed their media Ecology Theory and Diffusion Theory, which went into greater detail in the article that she will be publishing soon.
Dr. Capansky spoke about what she believed to be the main problem in Sudan.
“During the succession Sudan was settled by Islamic Muslim and South Sudan was settled by Christians,” Dr. Capansky said. Sudan wanted South Sudan to adhere to their customs and beliefs, but South Sudan wanted their own freedom.
Pierre Mopo Gonhameu was born in Cameroon. He was raised in Pearl, Miss.
He has been a basketball player at UTM since 2010, and is a senior Marketing major. He is the son of Sambi Mopo Basile and Nguenkam Suzane.
Lemmy Ejorewoia was born and raised in the llemi Triangle, which borders northern Kenya and South Sudan. His mother was originally from South Sudan, but was abducted and taken to Kenya by his father. She had two boys and two girls.
He first attended school when he was 12 years old, and he found himself in Turkana. When he got to high school he attended Nakuru provincial school, which was the best in the country at the time. He then attended a teachers college and went on to receive his BED-ENG/CRE in Minnesota. He now teaches at Saint John’s Teachers College.
Featured Image: (Kait Scott)
