History
ASDF (formerly Ngaathaje’ Development Project) was founded in 2007-2008 by Executive Director Juanis Kang D. Lual with the help of fellow student volunteers and academics at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado. However in recent years civil war has made it too dangerous for ASDF to operate in South Sudan. To this end, the organization has since changed its mission to serve those displaced to Ethiopia and South Sudan border by the civil war currently taking place.
How ASDF was founded
The idea to start ASDF came to Juanis in a dream. The vision springs from the term ‘Ngaathaje’ (pronounced “NAH-thuh-jay”), which translates to “I hope and believe” in the Nuer language. It reflects the founder’s belief in taking action and getting involved rather than sitting idly hoping someone else will take charge. It represents the individual’s attitude with which change begins. Juanis strongly feels that through ASDF (Ngaathaje’) we can encourage, empower, and convince anybody to believe that hope is not lost. Juanis asks that everyone take action now, right now!
Past Missions
Through the generosity of its donors, volunteers and partner organizations, ASDF was able to accomplish the following initiatives in South Sudan from 2009 – 2013.
- Provided educational supplies and healthcare in the form of sanitation and water awareness
- Purchased and delivered educational textbooks and school supplies to four primary schools
- Provided educator training through forums and awareness programs, as well as provided teaching supplies to educators
- Established partnerships and collaboration between local schools, health districts, and US public schools
Provided awareness training on personal hygiene, sanitation, and contaminated water identification and purification techniques in South Sudan
A Short Hiatus
- Unfortunately in 2013 civil war broke out in South Sudan and it was no longer safe for Juanis or ASDF personnel to be in country. ASDF took this time re-examine its goals and priorities and has re-emerged as a humanitarian relief NGO focusing on the current displacement of South Sudanese refugees. The long term goals of ASDF remain the same: a self sustainable and safe South Sudan. However, until the geopolitical issues are sorted out, ASDF will proceed to help those displaced as a direct result of the conflict.
About Our Founder
Juanis’ Yuanis’ ( Kang) is described as a ‘Golden Child”, and was born in the southeast region of South Sudan. South Sudan is the World’s newest country, however since its inception the country has been been plagued by civil war and tribal conflict. Before splitting from Sudan, South Sudan had been in conflict for decades during which Juanis lost most of his family and found himself living alone in a refugee camp in Ethiopia for seven years.
He survived many life threatening events and situations, from the loss of his own mother just a few days after she gave birth to him the loss of his father and most of his close family members during his childhood in the late 80s and 90s. The conflicts that took his family have been flaring up in South Sudan for over 56 years.
The current South Sudanese civil war initially started as ethnic cleansing in 2013 and is still ongoing. The civil war had turned what was an already unstable and volatile situation and turned it into an unlivable hell. Tragically, hundreds of thousands of his countrymen and women were and still are displaced and forced to flee to their neighboring regions and countries to seek refuge.
His story started in 1988 when he was a very young child forced to flee his village and ended up trekking 3,000 miles on foot over a period of six years before he and his sister’s in-laws family were selected by the United Nations to be relocated to the United States in 2000. Before making it to the U.S. Juanis spent close to 7 years in refugee camps in Ethiopia and neighboring countries.
Needles to say, he is one of the lucky ones to make it out alive. In 2001, he arrived in Denver, Colorado and was sponsored by an American family. He attended South High School. After graduation he enrolled in the University of Denver and Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU) where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree. While at MSU he formed ASDF as a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.
Juanis has an unyielding belief in the human capacity for overcoming any challenges. We hope you will join or support us in our efforts to save lives and bring sustainable solutions to the displaced peoples of South Sudan and beyond.
