Lighting the Path: The PASS Scholarship Scholars’ Journey

A story of resilience, hope, and transformation

Across borders and beyond barriers, a powerful story is unfolding, one of resilience, hope, and transformation.

The PASS Scholarship Program, dedicated to supporting South Sudanese students, is not just an educational initiative; it is a lifeline for young people who have endured conflict, displacement, and hardship, yet remain determined to rise.

The Stark Reality: Education in South Sudan

South Sudan remains one of the hardest places in the world to access education.
According to UNICEF, over 70% of children — more than 2.8 million — are out of school. Fewer than 10% of eligible students ever reach secondary school, and only 19% of girls complete primary education. Classrooms are often makeshift — under trees, in tents, or in damaged buildings and one in three schools lacks access to clean water.

Decades of conflict, displacement, and poverty have deepened the crisis. Teachers are underpaid, materials are scarce, and many families simply cannot afford school fees, uniforms, or transportation. Girls face even greater barriers, including early marriage and safety risks.

In a nation where the adult literacy rate hovers around 35%, education is more than learning — it’s survival. It’s the path to stability, dignity, and peace.

To put this in perspective:

• In the United States, 11% of the population lives in poverty, but more than 89% of adults have at least a high school diploma.
• In South Sudan, over 70% of the population lives in poverty, and millions of youths have never seen the inside of a classroom.

These contrasts remind us why PASS exists — to bridge that gap, to restore opportunity where the world has failed to provide it.

Rewriting the Story: What PASS Is Doing

Through Padoc Area Scholars Society, USA (PASS), we are rewriting the narrative of lost potential.

In 2025 alone, we’ve paid over $300,000 in tuition and living allowances for students across South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia — ensuring that hundreds of scholars could stay in school and continue their studies without interruption.

But PASS is more than financial aid. We encourage our scholars to dream boldly and act with purpose — to lead peer projects, give back to their communities, and become ambassadors of hope.

These young leaders are not just students; they are builders of a new South Sudan.
They are future doctors committed to improving healthcare, engineers determined to rebuild infrastructure, and teachers ready to ignite young minds.

A Global Truth: Education Breaks Poverty

Worldwide, studies show that every additional year of schooling can increase an individual’s income by 10% or more, and dramatically reduce poverty across generations. In contrast, people without access to education are far more likely to remain in cycles of poverty.

When we invest in education, we invest in peace, progress, and human potential.

That’s why your partnership with PASS matters so deeply — because every scholarship isn’t just helping one student; it’s changing the trajectory of families, villages, and nations.

Join the Movement: Sponsor a Scholar

The journey ahead is still steep. The cost of tuition, textbooks, meals, and transport remains a heavy burden for many families. But with your support, we can keep the light of learning alive.

Sponsorship is not just a donation — it is an investment in peace, progress, and purpose.
Your gift ensures that no South Sudanese child is denied an education because of circumstance.

To Our Current Sponsors — Thank You

Your belief in our scholars has already changed countless lives. Because of you, PASS has been able to sustain hundreds of scholarships and nurture a new generation of South Sudanese youth who are educated, empowered, and ready to lead.

Your impact will echo for generations.

To Our Future Sponsors — We Invite You

Come meet our scholars. Hear their stories. See their determination.
Know that your contribution will be honored with hard work, gratitude, and excellence.

Together, we can ensure that education — not war — defines the next chapter of South Sudan’s story.

Education Is the Bridge

The PASS Scholarship Program is more than a project — it is a promise.
A promise to uplift.
A promise to empower.
A promise to never give up on the dreams of our youth.

Let us walk this journey together and build a future where every South Sudanese student has the chance to shine.

For sponsorship inquiries, partnership opportunities, or to learn more about the PASS Scholarship Program, please contact us at [email protected] or write with a request to connect our Executive Director.

 

By Joseph Lethem & JB Favour for PASS