In the period since August 2005, I have been involved in activities directly related to my course of study at the University - Social Work.

My first assignment was in Sudan where my collegues and I did a wonderful job in the war torn region thanks to a generous gift from Omidyar. We trained teachers besides doing other development work like relief and community health education. The Experience in Sudan is documented here: http://www.omidyar.net/user/u686 114690/news/12/

In October last year, I was employed by the Government of Kenya as a Probation Officer. I found the job very challenging especially since this job lacks specific training. I have interacted with David Bale and I must admit that his assistance has been valuable. David and I were hosted on BBC's outlook program where we discussed this partnership. More here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservic e/programmes/outlook/news/story/ 2007/05/070518_futureplans2107.s html

During this period of practice, I have felt quite inadequate in service delivery. This has made me look for opportunities to further my studies in Social work. In recognition to my efforts of making the society a better place, the prestigious Washington University in St. louis offered me a USD 20,000 scholasrship to pursue a Masters degree this fall. However, I could not raise the USD 29,000 to pursue the course. http://www.wustl.edu/

Goteborgs University in Sweden was impressed by the application I made and my achievements this far. The department of Social Work has offered me a full scholarship ( tuition, room and board, books) to pursue an International Master of Science in Social work. The course begins in August. http://www.socwork.gu.se/english /?languageId=100001&disableR edirect=true

To make this dream a reality, I need to raise USD 1,200 towards the cost of an air ticket.

Moses and I just returned to Kenya after five months in South Sudan, It’s been an exciting experience, very informative and enabled us to learn and share our skills with the Nasir county community.

This was a continuation of the project we started last year through a generous gift from Pam and Pierre Omidyar. We wish to express our utmost thanks to the Omidyar family for funding this project that has been successful and a gift to the community in South Sudan. We are grateful to the staff of O.net who made this project a success. To the O.net community members, we appreciate your overwhelming support which was a great source of encouragement.

This thread offers a glimpse of our experiences in Sudan. It will focus on the wider issues affecting the lives of southerners and gives you (the reader) an idea of the actual situation in the region. Moses and I are trainers and we conduct teacher training, supervise the teachers as well as teaching at the schools in Nasir County. A comprehensive report detailing our activities, giving the statistics and photographs will be out soon. The report will largely focus on education while also linking the issues I have discussed below to the education sector.

EDUCATION

During the many years of conflict in South Sudan, education has been neglected as food and health concerns took precedent to save lives. The results have been an illiterate society while only a few found their way to Ethiopia and Kenya to access education as refugees. Despite the recent peace deal that ended the 21 years conflict, the instability in South Sudan continues to discourage IDP’s and refugees from returning home. UNHCR has been involved in bringing refugees and IDP’s to the region from the refugee camps. The issue of returnees has created an urgent need to address the existing need for education.

Constructions of schools, provision of scholastic materials and training of teachers have become challenges to the community towards the realization of an educated society. NCDA (Nasir Community Development Agency) through funds from CARE has been constructing schools while UNICEF provides scholastic materials for most schools in South Sudan. Teachers are very few and our project aims at training effective teachers to impart basic literary skills to children in this region. Currently, some schools have as low as 3 trained teachers yet the Teacher: pupil ratio is sometimes as high as 1:100. In this year’s project, we trained 33 teachers who underwent an in-service course and have since been teaching in the 12 schools in the Nasir county.

Schools here do not have basic facilities like desks and books for some classes are not available. Class rooms are few and a majority of pupils learn under trees and they strain a lot since they have to write on their laps while sitting on the ground. In the few classes, pupils are usually congested and the effectiveness of a teacher is greatly reduced.

Children growing up in this area encounter a lot of hardships in their quest for education. Some children come from distant locations and end up trekking a long distance to school. Temperatures in the dry season soar as high as 40oC and they have to endure the scorching sun, the region is swampy in the wet season and they walk in dangerous paths inhabited by dangerous snakes. Two pupils have been unfortunate in the recent past; one lost an arm while the other his leg after they were bitten by snakes on their way to school.

Since we began training teachers and teaching in the local schools, education has been embraced in this region in contrast to two years ago where schools were non existence. We have been aggressively been involved in streamlining education, encouraged regular school attendance and implemented the south Sudan school curriculum. In the recent past, school enrollment has steadily increased and more people are seeking training to become teachers. The training module created by SRD (Sudan Relief and Development) aims at making the learning process more enjoying and less straining, as a result a school has become a popular place for pupils. The civil way led to loss of numerous lives, many children lost their parents and are being taken care of by the extended family. The school offers a good atmosphere for socialization that makes up for the lost parental love and connection in a way.

The future of education development in the region lies in the hand of aid agencies to come forth and support the innocent children to acquire education. Supply of scholastic materials like children story books and writing materials is an urgent need. The continuation of the teacher training program will be a wonderful idea towards making education sustainable in the sense that more teachers will be available.

WOMEN & DEVELOPMENT

Women in Africa cannot be said to enjoy equal privileges with their male counterparts. Progress has however been made in some countries but men have continued to dominate the political and domestic arenas. Women in South Sudan have suffered greatly as a result of the many years of civil war. Apart from losing their husbands and sons who went to battle fields, they have been solely responsible for upbringing their children in difficult circumstances.

The Nuer (the tribe in the region) culture just like many African indigenous cultures holds low regard for women in society. The view that a woman’s place is the kitchen continues to be enforced by men in this region. To many, the expectations on women are outdated; a man is expected to walk ahead as women and children follow…not besides each other, men eat first and once they have had their fill, women and children can eat. They are never consulted in any community initiatives and a woman is not expected to offer ideas or address any gathering.

Soldiers make up for the high percentage of the population given that almost any man is a soldier. Women do all the house hold duties and cultivation. They mud and thatch the huts, fence their compounds, wash, clean, cook, milk the cows, plant and harvest their crops. Girls have become important helpers to women at the expense of their education pursuits.

Educating girls is one of the biggest education challenges facing the people of South Sudan in general. Girl’s enrollment in school is very low and many continue to drop out at alarming rates. Cultural practices have overshadowed attempts to promote and advocate for girl child education. Early and arranged marriages for girls in the 14 – 16 age brackets are a common phenomenon. The impetus perhaps is the thirty cows paid as dowry to the girl’s father. Young girls are sometimes arranged for marriages to old men as long as they have cows in this polygamous tribe. Girls who have been married off while in school have made attempts to come back to school; however, they have been unsuccessful especially when they become pregnant.

Poverty does contribute greatly to fewer opportunities for girls as more demands are placed upon them. Wealth is measured in terms of the number of cattle a family has and the more poor a family is, the earlier a girl is married off in order to receive the dowry. Measures aimed at enhancing food security, access to clean water and advocacy are means to realizing equal boys and girls in school.

South Sudan is realizing peace slowly and people are having settled lifestyles. The current trend is that the community is opening its eyes and the current enrollment of girls in grade 1 and 2 is encouraging. During our initial project last year, we were joined by two female colleagues whose regular ‘girl talks’ with girls in school continue to inspire them. My dream for this region is that of a gender conscious society that approaches development issues on a gender balanced platform. Such a dream can be realized through continued sensitization of the need for girls to go to school and regular interaction with the community.

AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK

This sector is the driving force of many economies in the Africa continent. The rich alluvial soils and tropical weather offers a good environment for crop production. In South Sudan, a great potential for agriculture exists and remain untapped. The civil war resulted in constant displacement of people who consequently could not settle down and engage in meaningful farming.

The availability of arable land is not really a problem, as it may be in other African countries with population explosion, vast tracks of fertile land is visible especially through an aerial view of the region. In major locations, people live in villages while cultivation is done in distant locations, the land immediately after the villages’ forms the common grazing field for cattle. Vegetables, sorghum and maize are commonly cultivated.

The climate of this region restricts farming to a single season, rain falls in June through to November and it is enough to support most crops to maturity. Rains are heavy and crops take few months to mature since temperatures are relatively high too during this season. We experimented on different crops during our five months program and indeed we could pick a watermelon from the garden everyday yet no one had ever thought they could grow in the region. The dry season starts in February; the temperatures are so high that all the grass dries up and the clay soil cracks. People migrate to the river banks with their herds of cattle and only return when the wet season begins.

This kind of climate favors cattle keeping and nomadic lifestyle. The community has quite an attachment with cows and its part and parcel of their well being. It is common to find a child waking up early in the morning and sucking milk directly from the cow. Priority when making a compound is given to the cattle whereby a large hut is built between other huts to accommodate them. Cow dung is usually burned throughout the night to keep the animals free from mosquitoes. Donkeys are a valuable mode of transport especially in the wet season.

WFP is the leading agency in the Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) and specifically addresses the food crisis in the entire South Sudan. It also offers logistical support especially flights for other NGO’s operating in the region. Millions of metric tones of food are delivered to needy people year in year out. Whereas food aid has in the past saved numerous lives of the starving population, it is admissible that continued food aid will be a disincentive to production. Efforts should now be channeled to measures aimed at improving farming methods and provision of seed since it will result in sustainable development. Some people openly admitted that they were not cultivating their own food because they were expecting food drops from WFP.

The current agricultural practice is small scale and for subsistence since there are no trade networks that have been established for selling farm produce. Crude farm tools are still used in farming which discourages farming of large tracks of land since they are very tiring. The community requires education on farming techniques, provision of seeds and tools so that in future they can be independent. A frequent outbreak of cattle diseases is a major community concern and animal drugs are inaccessible.

The future is bright for the current generation but efforts are needed to empower the communities to be able to tap the agricultural potential. The land offers more than agriculture since precious minerals remains unexploited. In addition, ‘the black gold’- oil which has been a major reason for the 21 years dispute is yet to be fully explored and drilled. The region has been unstable in the past but when peace finally dawns completely, the sky will be the limit for South Sudan.

WATER & SANITATION

The Upper Nile region can be classified as an arid and semi arid region. It receives rain only in the wet season (June – December) and the other months are usually very dry.

During the dry season, cattle are taken to the river banks and few people remain in the villages. Boreholes have been sunk in these villages but people still opt to use water the collects on the ground especially because boreholes are few and usually far away.

Water is the biggest single factor that affects settlements. A village comes to being whenever a borehole is sunk in any area. The community is responsible for maintaining the borehole but poverty has led to some boreholes being deserted when they break up.

A single borehole usually serves a large population and is it usual to find it being overcrowded. Poor sanitation has resulted from the scarcity of this precious commodity. Personal hygiene is not upheld, some people only take a bath with a cupful of water while children stop by the water pools on their way to school to clean themselves.

The community requires education on water conservation and purifying methods to eradicate water contamination. Soap is the largest single commodity that most people especially women begs for. Poverty does play a big role in poor sanitation since lack of soap and items for handling water remain scarce.

In Nasir County, Nasir town is an area with the highest population density. This region witnessed heavy fighting and it had its infrastructure completely destroyed. It is regarded a town but it strikes a picture of a big village to a first time visitor since there is no infrastructure. I had an opportunity to visit the town and the problem of sanitation is quite evident. There are neither garbage collection services nor proper disposal of human wastes.

The town is located on the banks of river Sobat, a very wide river upon which the population in the town derive their water. The river also links the town with the bigger Malakal town (the HQs of Upper Nile region) and Ethiopia since it is navigable. It is also a source of fish, a delicacy for the local communities. It is common to find children swimming and bathing, women washing and animals’ drinking water upstream while others fetching the commodity down stream. A cholera outbreak in the town recently claimed several lives.

The problem of sanitation is real in all spheres of life in the communities; from food preparation, handling, human waste disposal, disposal of litter and human hygiene. Cultural expectations and practices have in the past overshadowed attempts to educate the community on proper sanitation. There are few pit-latrines and most people relive themselves in the bush. Women are not expected to visit a pit latrine especially if it is also used by men. Issues of excretion are taboo and people are not expected to talk about them openly; so much so that if one mentioned to a father in law about digging a pit latrine, the person would be fined one cow. It is common practice that when a man or woman found a potential suitor relieving themselves, the two cannot engage in courtship unless either caught the other in the same act.

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Health ranks among the top ten community priorities in the region. The major health problems are Malaria and water borne diseases. ADRA runs primary health care units in the area but the introduction of cost sharing arrangements have hindered a majority of people from seeking medical attention. Immunization campaigns have been undertaken with less success because the communities are ignorant of their benefits. Illnesses that can be avoided through immunization like polio are thus common.

The climate of the Upper Nile region makes the inhabitants susceptible to tropical diseases like malaria which alone accounts for over 60% of inpatients during the wet season. There have been recent outbreak of yellow fever and people traveling to the region are advised to get vaccination against the diseases. Kalazaar is a common disease in the area that is transmitted by the sand fly; the disease has claimed numerous lives in the recent past. Pregnant mothers and children remain vulnerable to these diseases because most people lack access to mosquito nets that can prevent them from mosquito and sand flies.

A snake is one reptile that has caused great suffering to the people living in Upper Nile. There exist many types of dangerous snakes that are biting people everyday, the bush like conditions encourage the breeding of these reptiles. Snake bites are a major health concern and poor response mechanisms have rendered victims’ lives at great risk. Some victims have lost their limbs after failing to receive urgent medical attention. Lack of gumboots is a major reason for snake and scorpion bites in the area. Anti-venoms are not available and ICRC has ended their emergency evacuations living the people very vulnerable.

Water being the scarce commodity it is in this region, diseases associated with poor hygiene are very common. Diarrhea is a health condition experienced by many people especially because of food and water contamination. Recent Cholera outbreaks have claimed numerous lives and overcrowding in the villages have led to the spread of such an outbreak. Eye infections especially on children are common due to the presence of many flies brought about by poor waste disposal and the cattle keeping culture.

The 21 year civil war claimed many lives and those who were lucky to survive and escape with injuries lead a miserable life. Many people have bullets still lodged in their bodies but cannot afford to pay for medical attention. One of my grade 4 students had a bullet injure his spinal cord and recently he has had a failing eye sight. A high number of victims of war and snake bites require artificial limbs to make their lives better.

The region is relatively flat and is characterized by clay soil. Heavy rains usually cuts off the region from other parts as swamps form around the villages. Walking in itself becomes a hard task since the sticky mud feels like 10kgs on each leg. Mosquitoes breed rapidly in the surrounding swamps causing suffering to the residents.

Temperatures reach as high as 40oC can be experienced in the dry season. The high temperatures cause heat rush especially to visitors and renders working in the afternoon almost impossible. One would expect the wind blowing to give a good breeze but interestingly the air blowing is usually very hot. Sleeping in the huts at night is very uncomfortable and most people prefer to sleep outside.

Grass and clay soil are the resources available to make huts for the local population. Stones are not found in Upper Nile and this makes building schools very expensive since materials have to be brought from far locations. Even digging a pit latrine is not an easy task because the soil can cave in and therefore pit latrine liners are required and they are not accessible to most people. Felling of trees in the region is a major environmental concern since firewood is the only source of fuel.

The health and environmental challenges are hard to tackle since most of the issues are as a result of natural occurrences. Provision drugs, mosquito nets, gumboots can make the lives of people in this region bearable.

SECURITY

The signing of the Comprehensive peace agreement signaled a new beginning for southerners who have suffered for many years. The main factions in the 21 year conflict, the Sudan Armed Forces and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army were integrated to form the Joint Integrated Unit. However, despite the cease fire, peace is yet to fully dawn on the local population. Disgruntled elements with the armed forces and others that were never integrated have launched isolated military attacks in relatively peaceful regions.

During our stay in the area, we were unfortunate to be victims of an armed raid in the village we were residing in. The village came under attack at mid night; we had been psychologically prepared of the impending attack since the village’s military intelligence unit had intercepted radio communication and got wind of the planned attack. An exchange of fire ensued when the attackers drove in and we were forced to flee to a hideout in a village far away. Luckily they were overpowered and the situation normalized after two days. Tension had built up before and after the attack and people had started deserting the village.

Similar incidents have been reported in different areas and people are being killed ruthlessly. Senior ranking military personnel have been known to control parallel forces that they use to execute their wishes. NGO’s are being forced to evacuate their staff when such incidents occur. A similar skirmish was reported in Nasir town that is only 45 minutes by car from the village we were residing in (Kiech kuon). People were killed and the aid agency MSF had to evacuate their staff from the town.

The Nuer tribe is a cattle keeping tribe who practice nomadic lifestyle in the sense that during the dry season, the cattle are taken to the river banks. The two major clans, the Lou and the Jikany have had rivalry for a long time. Cattle rustling between these two clans are common and every year people die during cattle raids. Sometimes the conflict results from competition for space in the river banks where their animals can access grass and water.

During the dry season, as traders from the North traverse the vast southern territory in trucks full of trade merchandise, many have been robbed by armed and unruly soldiers some of whom are children. The proliferation of arms especially the AK-47 machine and pistols is a serious security concern. Drunk soldiers shooting anyhow, people using the arms to settle personal and domestic disputes, some attempting suicides is a great threat to security. The New Government has started an ambitious move to disarm the communities but the move is receiving resistance in some regions already.

Landmines pose another threat to the people in the region and especially those living in Nasir town. The UN Mission in Sudan has tried to de-mine the area but they are yet to clear the entire area. Numerous anti-personnel mines remain lodged in the ground posing risk to unsuspecting passersby’s. Some bombs used during aerial bombardments are yet to explode and there are no anti-ballistic personnel to detonate them. Crude methods of warfare were employed against innocent victims, a barrel full of explosives plus iron machetes, slates, broken glasses and needles would be dropped in a populated village by government jets. Upon exploding, these assorted weapons would fly all over claiming a high number of casualties. Dummy soaps would be sent floating in the rivers and would explode in the hands of unsuspecting local people.

Security concerns need to be addressed to create a good environment for IDP’s and refugees to return to their homeland. The health workers and teachers in the region double up as soldiers and during times of fighting, such activities take a back seat as people try to defend themselves.

I will be in Sudan for the next five months on an education project in upper nile, South Sudan.

Exactly one year ago today, I made a brilliant choice and joined Omidyar network. One year on, the achievements have been remarkable and there is no turning back. I cannot fall short of thanking the Omidyar family for creating such a great network and for the members for making this platform lively and enjoyable.

One of my greatest achievements here on Onet was my internship in south Sudan. This was a life time opportunity that I will live to cherish. I sincerely thank the Omidyars for continually supporting our education development project in South Sudan.

The Humanity before Politics campaign has been a success and am happy to be part of the team spreading the good news. I have received several bunches of the HBP in the recent past and distributed them to friends in Kenya and also in South Sudan. The message being spread is very important and am confident that it has had a positive impact wherever it has been preached.

Last year, we organized the first Darfur freedom vigil in Nairobi in remembrance to victims of genocide in Darfur. The vigil offered the opportunity for participants to hear from the speakers about the genocide in Sudan and what role they can play to prevent such a crisis. The event was fully sponsored by Omidyar members who contributed generously in the drop cash campaign coordinated by Sue Braiden.

The contacts that I have made here have been very useful. Apart from interacting with other development minded Kenyans on the Onet, I have interacted with professionals and successful individuals from all over the world. Each and every member has contributed to my knowledge and am definitely a better person than I was before I joined this network.

I hope to continue being an active member, making a difference in my own small way while discovering the power in me to make good things happen.

Kenya is experiencing an unprecedented rise in the number of food related deaths as a result of failed rains. The UN food agency, WFP has warned that millions of lives are at risk if the international community does not come to the aid of starving people. It has sent an urgent appeal for funds to buy food for the vulnerable people in the horn of Africa. Children have been worst affected by the crisis with many having died, other malnourished and dropping from school.

A New Zealander, Christine Drummond, whose friend’s daughter visited Kenya and experienced the food crisis, has offered to help. She is planning to send 42 tonnes of dog food, enough to feed 160 children for one month. The consignment will leave New Zealand in March from her company, mighty mix.

The Government of Kenya spokesman has reacted angrily at the offer and stated that Kenya was not ready to receive the dog food. He questioned the morality of the offer saying Kenyans had not reached such desperate levels.

Is there a reason to decline such an offer? Where are our values? Should we rather die in the face of hunger rather than eat dog food and survive? She stated that the food is very rich in nutrients which include cereals, beef, mutton, chicken and sea food. She admitted to sprinkling some in her daily mug of porridge and that the food should be taken like food supplements.

On the other hand, is the New Zealander’s gesture truly in good faith or does she hold the Kenyan child in low regard? Does such acceptance amount to lowering the dignity of the Kenyan child? Why can’t she donate cash to buy food or else sell the dog food to buy food for human consumption? Should we ignore our moral values in the face of calamity, throwing all caution to the wind and embrace any offer in the name of survival?

Should she go ahead and ship the dog food to starving children in the Rusinga islands in Lake Victoria?

Child labor is one of the major problems facing young children in their quest for education in South Sudan. In Kiech kuon for example, so many children of school going age spend most of their time at home undertaking household chores.Worth noting is that girls are mostly the victims; they wash, cook, clean and have no time to go to school. However, even boys are affected and spend most of their time looking after cattle.

In an area that is underdeveloped, education does not make a lot of sense for the locals. Any meaningful approach to education development must address impediments of education. Unless we root out child labor, then any education campaign will not be thorough. Community awareness is a key focal point for such a campaign; parents need to be educated on the value of education if at all they are to embrace it.

Most African countries are facing this problem despite being signatories to the United Nations Convection on the Rights of children (UNCRC). The population in South Sudan has not seen the fruits of Education per se; this explains why they value their herds of cattle more than education of their children. It is generally a matter of what places food on the table. There are no role models, people who have succeeded because of their educational levels; there is no major source of motivation. Great needs of efforts aimed at eradicating the problem are definitely required.

One of the ways we can address the issue is by providing role models to both parents and children. During our internship in kiech kuon, most parents envied our achievements and desired their children to be like us when they grow up. We would discuss with the children what they wanted to be and amazingly most wanted to be teachers and health workers, exactly what we were doing in K-kuon.

It is good to note that enrolment in school increased during our stay in K-kuon, it took us persuasion in community meetings to advocate for more children in school.

Perhaps we can say that development will take care of the problem but what about countries that are relatively developed and yet experience the same problem? I invite contributions on how best the issue can be tackled.

Once the plane was airborne the view on the ground gradually changed. Someone could easily tell that we had entered another territory. We were now in Sudan, the land of numerous plains. This was a moment each one of us had waited for after spending a few days in Lokichogio due to heavy rains. The plane was compact, fully loaded with foodstuffs and other non-food items that we required. During the flight we admired the country especially river Nile, wonderful vegetation, unexplored territories, true nature.

Shortly after 1 pm and two hrs into flight our small aircraft made a successful landing at the Kiech kuon (KKN) airstrip. The whole village was out there to receive us, the young and old eager to welcome us. Children heartily carried our luggage to our new compound, smiling and eager to let us know their names and grade. The SPLA officials were there to maintain order and everything went well. Upon arriving at the compound, our small huts were strikingly nostalgic of the early days as told by our ancestors. Round and grass thatched with enough room for two occupants. Our first step was to do a some wiring for the 5 huts in the compound for our electric generator. Enough visitors were there, a goat was slaughtered and we got a nice welcome. However, we got some unpleasant visitors the locust and the mosquitoes came just before 7 pm, the situation was so bad that we had to serve food from under our mosquito nets. We had to be very careful otherwise we could have taken some locust salad. The night came to pass; our 6 weeks of internship with NCDA in KKN had officially begun.

Early the next day we embarked on our mission for the South. We visited kiech kuon Primary School and the Primary Health Care Unit where we would be based. The children welcomed us with beautiful songs and instantly we realized that the children were happy to receive us. During the rest of our stay, we worked as teachers in this school; we used to teach children in the morning and train teachers in the afternoon. Teaching was very exciting because the children in KKN are always eager to learn. We used translators for some classes where pupils could not understand English. Our experience offered us the opportunity to learn Nuer (the local language) though just enough to greet someone and ask for water to drink and so on. Our greatest fear in KKN was that of snakes and scorpions, with peace having come to the region, only the two posed a danger. However mosquitoes were an every evening nightmare and soon we resigned and let them bite, actually drilling. During our stay we killed at over 10 snakes in our compound and numerous scorpions.

Perhaps our greatest adventure was going to Kiech 2; at least 3 hours walk on scorching sun and no shade. We crossed two swamps on the way, two of us had gumboots but the others opted barefoot. Walking in gumboots was a hefty task one would be stuck in the mud and in the next minute, you would be looking for it with your bare hand in submerged muddy water. One hour into the walk, we suddenly heard some songs from some boys in the bush. It was a pleasant surprise. They had come to receive us, they carried our luggage and walked ahead of us for the rest of the walk.

The reception in kiech 2 was very good young boys and girls singing to soft tunes, could not have welcome us better. On our way, back they blessed us with a goat and two chickens not to mention the indigenous foods we had to our fill.

One good thing about the people of KKN is their generosity. We were warmly welcomed everywhere we went, they offered us the best food and there was always a goat or a chicken to carry home. We ate all kind of foods and drinks in KKN always fearing some negatives reactions with our stomachs but no major consequences resulted. They were happy when we shared their food.

The culture of the Nuer community and other tribes in the south oppress women. In a region where every man is an SPLA soldier and people survive on food drops by WFP any other works is done by women and children. Women build tukulus (huts), fetch water from the only borehole in the village, wash, cook … Men marry as many woman as they wish and we learnt that some men have even 10 wives. The bride price is fixed at 30 cows but for educated women, the number is higher.

The source of livelihood for this community is livestock. Some children do not go to school because they have to clean cowsheds and dry the cow dung that is burnt in the evenings to chase away mosquitoes

Enrollment in school drastically improved after our initial week. Previously parents had complained about the lack of teachers and they developed the confidence to send their children after we raised our concern. Regular community meetings offered a good platform for our educational campaign and so did the Sunday church service. The sun in KKN is very hot sometimes above 40 C it is not a wonder to see people sweating heavily before 9.00am. This is a great contract to weather in Nairobi which average half that of KKN. Rains make the area inaccessible and walking becomes a problem, the clay soil cramps on the shoes and may feel like a 10 kgs load on your legs. Gumboots and raincoats are an absolute necessity in this region. Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS) has scheduled flights to KKN, three times a week ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) is the largest organization in the area and has been in operation for about 7 years. The organization runs a primary health care unit (PHCU), a Malaria Project (mosquito net distribution to pregnant mothers and young children). ADRA works closely with ICRC in healthcare and air lifts orthopedic cases to Lokichogio, Kenya for specialized treatment. The World Food Programme (WFP) has particularly saved many lives in KKN they occasionally drop foodstuffs for the people in KKN and neighboring locations like Ulang, Madding, Yomding, and so on. As we were leaving, the organization had dropped metric tones of food items for the peoples of KKN and neighboring villages. PRDA (Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency did conduct a HIV/AIDS awareness that lasted for two weeks.

The need arose upon realization that the people of KKN have not witnessed cases of HIV/AIDS and soon refugees will start returning home from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda…and therefore risks of contracting the disease.

KKN is one of the major locations in South Sudan. It is in Luakpiny/Nasir county Western Upper Nile, the region that borders Ethiopia. The area is a flat land and is characterized by numerous swamps where water rarely drains after a heavy downpour and there are many stagnant water points. Several villages like Kiech II, yeich, Pierjak, Guenom surround this location. Generally services like education and health are not available in these locations and people have to walk for hours to reach KKN.

KKN is an area controlled by the SPLM and is relatively stable compared to locations that are GOS controlled. However, every family has its own security precautions. In an area where history of cattle rustling has been reported and cattle seen as a measure of wealth and social status, cattle have to be protected. In almost every homestead, one is likely to find a loaded AK 47 machine gun and individuals walk around with heavy guns. Even some missile launchers that can be fired at aircrafts are found in certain homesteads. People in KKN live in constant fear of attack by government forces. Many people are not up to date with news and are not even aware of the CPA (comprehensive peace agreement) signed in Nairobi months ago. KKN is a small village in South Sudan reminiscent of the olden days before civilization in present day Africa. Villages cut off from the rest of the world save for access by air and occasionally roads in the dry season. The numerous villages in KKN are surrounded by thick grass that is human height tall and infested with snakes, hyenas, world birds, numerous insects and small pests that are yet to be discovered and documented by scientists around the world are found in this village.

Communication and accessibility are primary ingredients for development but are lacking in KKN, mass media is evidently lacking and is a vital tool for development through education. Once you arrive in KKN you are cut from the rest of the world but one can however listen to BBC news, use a Thuraya cell phone or communicate via ADRA or SRRC radio. There is no newspaper in circulation but radio stations are coming up. It is possible to citify village life by installing generators and use of communication gadgets like email and internet like satellite. Since the area is relatively flat, it will require colossal amounts of money to make the area accessible by roads. Floodwater occupies vast areas and deep cracks open up during the dry season to expose scorpions, spiders and dangerous snakes. Cultural practices among the Nuer’s are diverse, weird, some interesting and others horrifying. Practices pertaining to marriage life and family are particularly unique. Once a man notices that his wife is pregnant, he cannot sleep with her until 3 years. They believe that if the man sleeps with the wife the child will die upon birth. Men marry many wives and they all live n the same compound. Boys and girls look after cattle and the women do the milking. When milking, women use their mouth to pump air through the rear of the cow so that it can produce more milk. Milk for drinking is never boiled and to ferment it, some little cow urine is added. Women build beautiful mud walled, grass thatched house and surround them with a fence made a grass stalk. There is a deep hole in community center where offenders are held before trial, it’s a form of a prison. The hole is so deep that one uses a rope to climb. Stories are told of how scorpions and snakes are put inside to terrorize the offenders; with such a justice system…crime is rare. There are local courts that provide justice to those who have been wronged against. Issues like divorce are often handled.

Girls above 16 years are often regarded as ripe for marriage. A young man who wishes to ask a girl for a hand in marriage often does so at night. He approaches the house in which she stays, coughs or sneezes from the outside and the mother is most likely to send the girl out to “greet the visitor”, sometimes several men may present themselves at the door step in the girls home. The girl dismisses the one she des not like by providing excuses like she is busy. Eventually courtship begins, dowry is given out and a marriage ceremony is held. There are exciting dances for every occasion, these dances are held regulary in the village and the turnout is always overwhelming. We attended several of such dances and enjoyed as the young and the old moved rhythmically to Congo hit songs for the moment perhaps to forget temporarily the numerous problems that they face. Occassionally SPLA soldiers would treat us to a spectacular show accompanied by songs. They would walk around the community center displaying sophisticated weapons. This usually happened after a deployment from a different location and a form of allegiance to the new commander. Working in a foreign land can make one homesick. This was not so much the case for us because we had enough company amongst ourselves. Our biggest boost to staying in KKN in the initial weeks came from regular field workers who came to KKN once in a while. We met fellow Kenyans working with aid agencies and we had a chance to hold several Kenyan nights where we talked about our homeland and shared Kenyan’s favourite meals (Nyama choma –roast meat.) Six weeks ended and we still felt that our students and everyone in KKN needed us. We added one week and on 13th Nov, we returned home. Our students our sad when we broke the news that our time had come to an end. Tears flew freely and so many questions of why we were going were raised.

Some villagers even promised to build for us huts to be residents there. It was not an easier moment for us either. We hadn’t realized the bonds we had created until the day of our departure came. Our students literally begged us to remain there and they said that the school would end with our departure. We had become so accustomed to the people’s way of life in Kiech Kuon that we really didn’t want to leave, We fought back tears as we gave those young children with a bright future our last gaze. Life in KiechKuon was definitely challenging but we derived the greatest amount of self satisfaction for ourselves. I felt so happy when I met a small child barely five years whose hand I held and gradually taught how to write numbers and the alphabet. Our greatest fear was that when we left the school would never be the same. We had instilled so much hope to our young children and we feared we had suddenly abandoned them. Perhaps our best approach was that of making learning exciting and this explains why enrollement increased drastically during our stay and even very young children were left to our care by their parent.

Come January 2006 we would like to go back to Kiechkuon, a place we call home, our second home. Unanimously we feel that children and villagers in this location need us as much as we need to learn from them and become partners in developing this area. Education is a key to development, we feel that we can make a great impact through education. Our strategy is to win more children and especially girls to school while fighting practices of child labour which we have identified as a great impediment to development of education. During the next few weeks as we await our graduation ceremony from University (scheduled for 9th Dec) we want to refocus and re-strategize on the best way forward.

The internship was an eye opener to the situation in South Sudan. A great experience that few words can comfortably describe, an opportunity of a life time.

Personally, I feel indebted to members of Omidyar Network who made this internship a success. May God bless you all.

This weekend, my collegues and I will be leaving for Kiech kuon, Upper Nile, south sudan for a six weeks internship with NCDA.

I wish to take this opportunity to inform members here in Onet of our noble mission. We will be volunteering in the areas of education development and primary health care.

Keep us in your prayers, we will miss all your wonderful contributions here in Onet but we hope to be back soon and safely and continue enjoying our regular interactions on this network.

Goodbye.

Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing.

Acarophobia- Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching.

Acerophobia- Fear of sourness.

Achluophobia- Fear of darkness.

Acousticophobia- Fear of noise.

Acrophobia- Fear of heights.

Aerophobia- Fear of drafts, air swallowing, or airbourne noxious substances.

Aeroacrophobia- Fear of open high places.

Aeronausiphobia- Fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness.

Agateophobia- Fear of insanity.

Agliophobia- Fear of pain.

Agoraphobia- Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place.

Agraphobia- Fear of sexual abuse.

Agrizoophobia- Fear of wild animals.

Agyrophobia- Fear of streets or crossing the street.

Aichmophobia- Fear of needles or pointed objects.

Ailurophobia- Fear of cats.

Albuminurophobia- Fear of kidney disease.

Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens.

Algophobia- Fear of pain.

Alliumphobia- Fear of garlic.

Allodoxaphobia- Fear of opinions.

Altophobia- Fear of heights.

Amathophobia- Fear of dust.

Amaxophobia- Fear of riding in a car.

Ambulophobia- Fear of walking.

Amnesiphobia- Fear of amnesia.

Amychophobia- Fear of scratches or being scratched.

Anablephobia- Fear of looking up.

Ancraophobia- Fear of wind. (Anemophobia)

Androphobia- Fear of men.

Anemophobia- Fear of air drafts or wind.(Ancraophobia)

Anginophobia- Fear of angina, choking or narrowness.

Anglophobia- Fear of England or English culture, etc.

Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry.

Ankylophobia- Fear of immobility of a joint.

Anthrophobia or Anthophobia- Fear of flowers.

Anthropophobia- Fear of people or society.

Antlophobia- Fear of floods.

Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single.

Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity.

Aphenphosmphobia- Fear of being touched. (Haphephobia)

Apiphobia- Fear of bees.

Apotemnophobia- Fear of persons with amputations.

Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.

Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders.

Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers.

Arrhenphobia- Fear of men.

Arsonphobia- Fear of fire.

Asthenophobia- Fear of fainting or weakness.

Astraphobia or Astrapophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning. (Ceraunophobia, Keraunophobia)

Astrophobia- Fear of stars or celestial space.

Asymmetriphobia- Fear of asymmetrical things.

Ataxiophobia- Fear of ataxia. (muscular incoordination)

Ataxophobia- Fear of disorder or untidiness.

Atelophobia- Fear of imperfection.

Atephobia- Fear of ruin or ruins.

Athazagoraphobia- Fear of being forgotton or ignored or forgetting.

Atomosophobia- Fear of atomic explosions.

Atychiphobia- Fear of failure.

Aulophobia- Fear of flutes.

Aurophobia- Fear of gold.

Auroraphobia- Fear of Northern lights.

Autodysomophobia- Fear of one that has a vile odor.

Automatonophobia- Fear of ventriloquist's dummies, animatronic creatures, wax statues - anything that falsly represents a sentient being.

Automysophobia- Fear of being dirty.

Autophobia- Fear of being alone or of oneself.

Aviophobia or Aviatophobia- Fear of flying.

Bacillophobia- Fear of microbes.

Bacteriophobia- Fear of bacteria.

Ballistophobia- Fear of missiles or bullets.

Bolshephobia- Fear of Bolsheviks.

Barophobia- Fear of gravity.

Basophobia or Basiphobia- Inability to stand. Fear of walking or falling.

Bathmophobia- Fear of stairs or steep slopes.

Bathophobia- Fear of depth.

Batophobia- Fear of heights or being close to high buildings.

Batrachophobia- Fear of amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc.

Belonephobia- Fear of pins and needles. (Aichmophobia)

Bibliophobia- Fear of books.

Blennophobia- Fear of slime.

Bogyphobia- Fear of bogeys or the bogeyman.

Botanophobia- Fear of plants.

Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia- Fear of body smells.

Brontophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning.

Bufonophobia- Fear of toads.

Cacophobia- Fear of ugliness.

Cainophobia or Cainotophobia- Fear of newness, novelty.

Caligynephobia- Fear of beautiful women.

Cancerophobia or Carcinophobia- Fear of cancer.

Cardiophobia- Fear of the heart.

Carnophobia- Fear of meat.

Catagelophobia- Fear of being ridiculed.

Catapedaphobia- Fear of jumping from high and low places.

Cathisophobia- Fear of sitting.

Catoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors.

Cenophobia or Centophobia- Fear of new things or ideas.

Ceraunophobia or Keraunophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning. (Astraphobia, Astrapophobia)

Chaetophobia- Fear of hair.

Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia- Fear of cold.(Frigophobia, Psychophobia)

Chemophobia- Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.

Cherophobia- Fear of gaiety.

Chionophobia- Fear of snow.

Chiraptophobia- Fear of being touched.

Chirophobia- Fear of hands.

Cholerophobia- Fear of anger or the fear of cholera.

Chorophobia- Fear of dancing.

Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia- Fear of money.

Chromophobia or Chromatophobia- Fear of colors.

Chronophobia- Fear of time.

Chronomentrophobia- Fear of clocks.

Cibophobia- Fear of food.(Sitophobia, Sitiophobia)

Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces.

Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia- Fear of being locked in an enclosed place.

Cleptophobia- Fear of stealing.

Climacophobia- Fear of stairs, climbing, or of falling downstairs.

Clinophobia- Fear of going to bed.

Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia- Fear of being enclosed.

Cnidophobia- Fear of stings.

Cometophobia- Fear of comets.

Coimetrophobia- Fear of cemeteries.

Coitophobia- Fear of coitus.

Contreltophobia- Fear of sexual abuse.

Coprastasophobia- Fear of constipation.

Coprophobia- Fear of feces.

Coulrophobia- Fear of clowns.

Counterphobia- The preference by a phobic for fearful situations.

Cremnophobia- Fear of precipices.

Cryophobia- Fear of extreme cold, ice or frost.

Crystallophobia- Fear of crystals or glass.

Cyberphobia- Fear of computers or working on a computer.

Cyclophobia- Fear of bicycles.

Cymophobia or Kymophobia- Fear of waves or wave like motions.

Cynophobia- Fear of dogs or rabies.

Cypridophobia or Cypriphobia or Cyprianophobia or Cyprinophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease.

Decidophobia- Fear of making decisions.

Defecaloesiophobia- Fear of painful bowels movements.

Deipnophobia- Fear of dining or dinner conversations.

Dementophobia- Fear of insanity.

Demonophobia or Daemonophobia- Fear of demons.

Demophobia- Fear of crowds. (Agoraphobia)

Dendrophobia- Fear of trees.

Dentophobia- Fear of dentists.

Dermatophobia- Fear of skin lesions.

Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia- Fear of skin disease.

Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body.

Diabetophobia- Fear of diabetes.

Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school.

Dikephobia- Fear of justice.

Dinophobia- Fear of dizziness or whirlpools.

Diplophobia- Fear of double vision.

Dipsophobia- Fear of drinking.

Dishabiliophobia- Fear of undressing in front of someone.

Domatophobia- Fear of houses or being in a house.(Eicophobia, Oikophobia)

Doraphobia- Fear of fur or skins of animals.

Doxophobia- Fear of expressing opinions or of receiving praise.

Dromophobia- Fear of crossing streets.

Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch.

Dysmorphophobia- Fear of deformity.

Dystychiphobia- Fear of accidents.

Ecclesiophobia- Fear of church.

Ecophobia- Fear of home.

Eicophobia- Fear of home surroundings.(Domatophobia, Oikophobia)

Eisoptrophobia- Fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.

Electrophobia- Fear of electricity.

Eleutherophobia- Fear of freedom.

Elurophobia- Fear of cats. (Ailurophobia)

Emetophobia- Fear of vomiting.

Enetophobia- Fear of pins.

Enochlophobia- Fear of crowds.

Enosiophobia or Enissophobia- Fear of having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism.

Entomophobia- Fear of insects.

Eosophobia- Fear of dawn or daylight.

Ephebiphobia- Fear of teenagers.

Epistaxiophobia- Fear of nosebleeds.

Epistemophobia- Fear of knowledge.

Equinophobia- Fear of horses.

Eremophobia- Fear of being oneself or of lonliness.

Ereuthrophobia- Fear of blushing.

Ergasiophobia- 1) Fear of work or functioning. 2) Surgeon's fear of operating.

Ergophobia- Fear of work.

Erotophobia- Fear of sexual love or sexual questions.

Euphobia- Fear of hearing good news.

Eurotophobia- Fear of female genitalia.

Erythrophobia or Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia- 1) Fear of redlights. 2) Blushing. 3) Red.

Febriphobia or Fibriphobia or Fibriophobia- Fear of fever.

Felinophobia- Fear of cats. (Ailurophobia, Elurophobia, Galeophobia, Gatophobia)

Francophobia- Fear of France or French culture. (Gallophobia, Galiophobia)

Frigophobia- Fear of cold or cold things.(Cheimaphobia, Cheimatophobia, Psychrophobia)

Galeophobia or Gatophobia- Fear of cats.

Gallophobia or Galiophobia- Fear France or French culture. (Francophobia)

Gamophobia- Fear of marriage.

Geliophobia- Fear of laughter.

Geniophobia- Fear of chins.

Genophobia- Fear of sex.

Genuphobia- Fear of knees.

Gephyrophobia or Gephydrophobia or Gephysrophobia- Fear of crossing bridges.

Germanophobia- Fear of Germany or German culture.

Gerascophobia- Fear of growing old.

Gerontophobia- Fear of old people or of growing old.

Geumaphobia or Geumophobia- Fear of taste.

Glossophobia- Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.

Gnosiophobia- Fear of knowledge.

Graphophobia- Fear of writing or handwriting.

Gymnophobia- Fear of nudity.

Gynephobia or Gynophobia- Fear of women.

Hadephobia- Fear of hell.

Hagiophobia- Fear of saints or holy things.

Hamartophobia- Fear of sinning.

Haphephobia or Haptephobia- Fear of being touched.

Harpaxophobia- Fear of being robbed.

Hedonophobia- Fear of feeling pleasure.

Heliophobia- Fear of the sun.

Hellenologophobia- Fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology.

Helminthophobia- Fear of being infested with worms.

Hemophobia or Hemaphobia or Hematophobia- Fear of blood.

Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia- Fear of challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation.

Herpetophobia- Fear of reptiles or creepy, crawly things.

Heterophobia- Fear of the opposite sex. (Sexophobia)

Hierophobia- Fear of priests or sacred things.

Hippophobia- Fear of horses.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words.

Hobophobia- Fear of bums or beggars.

Hodophobia- Fear of road travel.

Hormephobia- Fear of shock.

Homichlophobia- Fear of fog.

Homilophobia- Fear of sermons.

Hominophobia- Fear of men.

Homophobia- Fear of sameness, monotony or of homosexuality or of becoming homosexual.

Hoplophobia- Fear of firearms.

Hydrargyophobia- Fear of mercurial medicines.

Hydrophobia- Fear of water or of rabies.

Hydrophobophobia- Fear of rabies.

Hyelophobia or Hyalophobia- Fear of glass.

Hygrophobia- Fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture.

Hylephobia- Fear of materialism or the fear of epilepsy.

Hylophobia- Fear of forests.

Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia- Fear of responsibility.

Hypnophobia- Fear of sleep or of being hypnotized.

Hypsiphobia- Fear of height.

Iatrophobia- Fear of going to the doctor or of doctors.

Ichthyophobia- Fear of fish.

Ideophobia- Fear of ideas.

Illyngophobia- Fear of vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down. Iophobia- Fear of poison.

Insectophobia - Fear of insects.

Isolophobia- Fear of solitude, being alone.

Isopterophobia- Fear of termites, insects that eat wood.

Ithyphallophobia- Fear of seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis.

Japanophobia- Fear of Japanese.

Judeophobia- Fear of Jews.

Kainolophobia or Kainophobia- Fear of anything new, novelty.

Kakorrhaphiophobia- Fear of failure or defeat.

Katagelophobia- Fear of ridicule.

Kathisophobia- Fear of sitting down.

Kenophobia- Fear of voids or empty spaces.

Keraunophobia or Ceraunophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning.

Kinetophobia or Kinesophobia- Fear of movement or motion.

Kleptophobia- Fear of stealing.

Koinoniphobia- Fear of rooms.

Kolpophobia- Fear of genitals, particularly female.

Kopophobia- Fear of fatigue.

Koniophobia- Fear of dust. (Amathophobia)

Kosmikophobia- Fear of cosmic phenomenon.

Kymophobia- Fear of waves. (Cymophobia)

Kynophobia- Fear of rabies.

Kyphophobia- Fear of stooping.

Lachanophobia- Fear of vegetables.

Laliophobia or Lalophobia- Fear of speaking.

Leprophobia or Lepraphobia- Fear of leprosy.

Leukophobia- Fear of the color white.

Levophobia- Fear of things to the left side of the body.

Ligyrophobia- Fear of loud noises.

Lilapsophobia- Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes.

Limnophobia- Fear of lakes.

Linonophobia- Fear of string.

Liticaphobia- Fear of lawsuits.

Lockiophobia- Fear of childbirth.

Logizomechanophobia- Fear of computers.

Logophobia- Fear of words.

Luiphobia- Fear of lues, syphillis.

Lutraphobia- Fear of otters.

Lygophobia- Fear of darkness.

Lyssophobia- Fear of rabies or of becoming mad.

Macrophobia- Fear of long waits.

Mageirocophobia- Fear of cooking.

Maieusiophobia- Fear of childbirth.

Malaxophobia- Fear of love play. (Sarmassophobia)

Maniaphobia- Fear of insanity.

Mastigophobia- Fear of punishment.

Mechanophobia- Fear of machines.

Medomalacuphobia- Fear of losing an erection.

Medorthophobia- Fear of an erect penis.

Megalophobia- Fear of large things.

Melissophobia- Fear of bees.

Melanophobia- Fear of the color black.

Melophobia- Fear or hatred of music.

Meningitophobia- Fear of brain disease.

Menophobia- Fear of menstruation.

Merinthophobia- Fear of being bound or tied up.

Metallophobia- Fear of metal.

Metathesiophobia- Fear of changes.

Meteorophobia- Fear of meteors.

Methyphobia- Fear of alcohol.

Metrophobia- Fear or hatred of poetry.

Microbiophobia- Fear of microbes. (Bacillophobia)

Microphobia- Fear of small things.

Misophobia or Mysophobia- Fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs.

Mnemophobia- Fear of memories.

Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia- Fear of dirt or contamination.

Monophobia- Fear of solitude or being alone.

Monopathophobia- Fear of definite disease.

Motorphobia- Fear of automobiles.

Mottephobia- Fear of moths.

Musophobia or Muriphobia- Fear of mice. Mycophobia- Fear or aversion to mushrooms.

Mycrophobia- Fear of small things.

Myctophobia- Fear of darkness.

Myrmecophobia- Fear of ants.

Mythophobia- Fear of myths or stories or false statements.

Myxophobia- Fear of slime. (Blennophobia)

Nebulaphobia- Fear of fog. (Homichlophobia)

Necrophobia- Fear of death or dead things.

Nelophobia- Fear of glass.

Neopharmaphobia- Fear of new drugs.

Neophobia- Fear of anything new.

Nephophobia- Fear of clouds.

Noctiphobia- Fear of the night.

Nomatophobia- Fear of names.

Nosocomephobia- Fear of hospitals.

Nosophobia or Nosemaphobia- Fear of becoming ill.

Nostophobia- Fear of returning home.

Novercaphobia- Fear of your step-mother.

Nucleomituphobia- Fear of nuclear weapons.

Nudophobia- Fear of nudity.

Numerophobia- Fear of numbers.

Nyctohylophobia- Fear of dark wooded areas or of forests at night

Nyctophobia- Fear of the dark or of night.

Obesophobia- Fear of gaining weight.(Pocrescophobia)

Ochlophobia- Fear of crowds or mobs.

Ochophobia- Fear of vehicles.

Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.

Odontophobia- Fear of teeth or dental surgery.

Odynophobia or Odynephobia- Fear of pain. (Algophobia)

Oenophobia- Fear of wines.

Oikophobia- Fear of home surroundings, house.(Domatophobia, Eicophobia)

Olfactophobia- Fear of smells.

Ombrophobia- Fear of rain or of being rained on.

Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia- Fear of eyes.

Oneirophobia- Fear of dreams.

Oneirogmophobia- Fear of wet dreams.

Onomatophobia- Fear of hearing a certain word or of names.

Ophidiophobia- Fear of snakes. (Snakephobia)

Ophthalmophobia- Fear of being stared at.

Opiophobia- Fear medical doctors experience of prescribing needed pain medications for patients.

Optophobia- Fear of opening one's eyes.

Ornithophobia- Fear of birds.

Orthophobia- Fear of property.

Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia- Fear of smells or odors.

Ostraconophobia- Fear of shellfish.

Ouranophobia or Uranophobia- Fear of heaven.

Pagophobia- Fear of ice or frost.

Panthophobia- Fear of suffering and disease.

Panophobia or Pantophobia- Fear of everything.

Papaphobia- Fear of the Pope.

Papyrophobia- Fear of paper.

Paralipophobia- Fear of neglecting duty or responsibility.

Paraphobia- Fear of sexual perversion.

Parasitophobia- Fear of parasites.

Paraskavedekatriaphobia- Fear of Friday the 13th.

Parthenophobia- Fear of virgins or young girls.

Pathophobia- Fear of disease.

Patroiophobia- Fear of heredity.

Parturiphobia- Fear of childbirth.

Peccatophobia- Fear of sinning or imaginary crimes.

Pediculophobia- Fear of lice.

Pediophobia- Fear of dolls.

Pedophobia- Fear of children.

Peladophobia- Fear of bald people.

Pellagrophobia- Fear of pellagra.

Peniaphobia- Fear of poverty.

Pentheraphobia- Fear of mother-in-law. (Novercaphobia)

Phagophobia- Fear of swallowing or of eating or of being eaten.

Phalacrophobia- Fear of becoming bald.

Phallophobia- Fear of a penis, esp erect.

Pharmacophobia- Fear of taking medicine.

Phasmophobia- Fear of ghosts.

Phengophobia- Fear of daylight or sunshine.

Philemaphobia or Philematophobia- Fear of kissing.

Philophobia- Fear of falling in love or being in love.

Philosophobia- Fear of philosophy.

Phobophobia- Fear of phobias.

Photoaugliaphobia- Fear of glaring lights.

Photophobia- Fear of light.

Phonophobia- Fear of noises or voices or one's own voice; of telephones.

Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking.

Phthiriophobia- Fear of lice. (Pediculophobia)

Phthisiophobia- Fear of tuberculosis.

Placophobia- Fear of tombstones.

Plutophobia- Fear of wealth.

Pluviophobia- Fear of rain or of being rained on.

Pneumatiphobia- Fear of spirits.

Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia- Fear of choking of being smothered.

Pocrescophobia- Fear of gaining weight. (Obesophobia)

Pogonophobia- Fear of beards.

Poliosophobia- Fear of contracting poliomyelitis.

Politicophobia- Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.

Polyphobia- Fear of many things.

Poinephobia- Fear of punishment.

Ponophobia- Fear of overworking or of pain.

Porphyrophobia- Fear of the color purple.

Potamophobia- Fear of rivers or running water.

Potophobia- Fear of alcohol.

Pharmacophobia- Fear of drugs.

Proctophobia- Fear of rectums.

Prosophobia- Fear of progress.

Psellismophobia- Fear of stuttering.

Psychophobia- Fear of mind.

Psychrophobia- Fear of cold.

Pteromerhanophobia- Fear of flying.

Pteronophobia- Fear of being tickled by feathers.

Pupaphobia - Fear of puppets.

Pyrexiophobia- Fear of Fever.

Pyrophobia- Fear of fire.

Radiophobia- Fear of radiation, x-rays.

Ranidaphobia- Fear of frogs.

Rectophobia- Fear of rectum or rectal diseases.

Rhabdophobia- Fear of being severely punished or beaten by a rod, or of being severely criticized. Also fear of magic.(wand)

Rhypophobia- Fear of defecation.

Rhytiphobia- Fear of getting wrinkles.

Rupophobia- Fear of dirt.

Russophobia- Fear of Russians.

Samhainophobia: Fear of Halloween.

Sarmassophobia- Fear of love play. (Malaxophobia)

Satanophobia- Fear of Satan.

Scabiophobia- Fear of scabies.

Scatophobia- Fear of fecal matter.

Scelerophibia- Fear of bad men, burglars.

Sciophobia Sciaphobia- Fear of shadows.

Scoleciphobia- Fear of worms.

Scolionophobia- Fear of school.

Scopophobia or Scoptophobia- Fear of being seen or stared at.

Scotomaphobia- Fear of blindness in visual field.

Scotophobia- Fear of darkness. (Achluophobia)

Scriptophobia- Fear of writing in public.

Selachophobia- Fear of sharks.

Selaphobia- Fear of light flashes.

Selenophobia- Fear of the moon.

Seplophobia- Fear of decaying matter.

Sesquipedalophobia- Fear of long words.

Sexophobia- Fear of the opposite sex. (Heterophobia)

Siderodromophobia- Fear of trains, railroads or train travel.

Siderophobia- Fear of stars.

Sinistrophobia- Fear of things to the left or left-handed.

Sinophobia- Fear of Chinese, Chinese culture.

Sitophobia or Sitiophobia- Fear of food or eating. (Cibophobia)

Snakephobia- Fear of snakes. (Ophidiophobia)

Soceraphobia- Fear of parents-in-law.

Social Phobia- Fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations.

Sociophobia- Fear of society or people in general.

Somniphobia- Fear of sleep.

Sophophobia- Fear of learning.

Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others.

Spacephobia- Fear of outer space.

Spectrophobia- Fear of specters or ghosts.

Spermatophobia or Spermophobia- Fear of germs.

Spheksophobia- Fear of wasps.

Stasibasiphobia or Stasiphobia- Fear of standing or walking. (Ambulophobia)

Staurophobia- Fear of crosses or the crucifix.

Stenophobia- Fear of narrow things or places.

Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia- Fear of hell.

Suriphobia- Fear of mice.

Symbolophobia- Fear of symbolism.

Symmetrophobia- Fear of symmetry.

Syngenesophobia- Fear of relatives.

Syphilophobia- Fear of syphilis.

Tachophobia- Fear of speed.

Taeniophobia or Teniophobia- Fear of tapeworms.

Taphephobia Taphophobia- Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries.

Tapinophobia- Fear of being contagious.

Taurophobia- Fear of bulls.

Technophobia- Fear of technology.

Teleophobia- 1) Fear of definite plans. 2) Religious ceremony.

Telephonophobia- Fear of telephones.

Teratophobia- Fear of bearing a deformed child or fear of monsters or deformed people.

Testophobia- Fear of taking tests.

Tetanophobia- Fear of lockjaw, tetanus.

Teutophobia- Fear of German or German things.

Textophobia- Fear of certain fabrics.

Thaasophobia- Fear of sitting.

Thalassophobia- Fear of the sea.

Thanatophobia or Thantophobia- Fear of death or dying.

Theatrophobia- Fear of theatres.

Theologicophobia- Fear of theology.

Theophobia- Fear of gods or religion.

Thermophobia- Fear of heat.

Tocophobia- Fear of pregnancy or childbirth.

Tomophobia- Fear of surgical operations.

Tonitrophobia- Fear of thunder.

Topophobia- Fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright.

Toxiphobia or Toxophobia or Toxicophobia- Fear of poison or of being accidently poisoned.

Traumatophobia- Fear of injury.

Tremophobia- Fear of trembling.

Trichinophobia- Fear of trichinosis.

Trichopathophobia or Trichophobia- Fear of hair. (Chaetophobia, Hypertrichophobia)

Triskaidekaphobia- Fear of the number 13.

Tropophobia- Fear of moving or making changes.

Trypanophobia- Fear of injections.

Tuberculophobia- Fear of tuberculosis.

Tyrannophobia- Fear of tyrants.

Uranophobia or Ouranophobia- Fear of heaven.

Urophobia- Fear of urine or urinating.

Vaccinophobia- Fear of vaccination.

Venustraphobia- Fear of beautiful women.

Verbophobia- Fear of words.

Verminophobia- Fear of germs.

Vestiphobia- Fear of clothing.

Virginitiphobia- Fear of rape.

Vitricophobia- Fear of step-father.

Walloonphobia- Fear of the Walloons.

Wiccaphobia: Fear of witches and witchcraft.

Xanthophobia- Fear of the color yellow or the word yellow.

Xenoglossophobia- Fear of foreign languages.

Xenophobia- Fear of strangers or foreigners.

Xerophobia- Fear of dryness.

Xylophobia- 1) Fear of wooden objects. 2) Forests.

Xyrophobia-Fear of razors.

Zelophobia- Fear of jealousy.

Zeusophobia- Fear of God or gods.

Zemmiphobia- Fear of the great mole rat.

Zoophobia- Fear of animals.

Sometimes in life good things happen. You feel overwhelmed and you just want to share your excitement. It happens once in a blue moon and you feel that everything is going your way. Sometimes it is something that you have desired and longed for, you want to scream but you choose not to. You even want to jump up high in the sky but you fear injuries…what is it that makes your heart skip a beat, sometimes it happens once and sometimes regularly but almost always you are willing to share.

Today is such day for me; I actually cleared my studies at the University by sitting my last exam. Something I have waited for in a long time, four years of hard work and dedication. I also got passes in my CPA exams that I have been studying concurrently with my Social Work studies. As if that’s not enough, I got my passport that again I have waited for quite sometime.

Please share some of your experiences and achievements that makes you feel proud. It could have happened years ago, months ago, weeks ago, days ago or even hours ago and that which will take you to your knees and just thank God.