Congratulations! St. John’s College-Wau has received 547 books from Book Aid International.

28th March 2022, South Sudan/WBGS-Wau/St. John’s College.

Prologue;

St. John’s College–Wau is an institution that is operating to educate the people of South Sudan, the initiative has been made by the college administration to sign a memorandum of understanding with Book Aid International for sending books to the college, this idea has supported the students and intellectuals in the state to have access to the knowledge nearby and as the college become the partner to book aid international, people could expect more books to come to the college. Last year in September 2021, College received 12 cartons of books and this year March 2022 college also got 17 cartons of books, therefore next year college could receive more than ever expected.    

Background of the College;

St. John’s College is a Christian based private Institution of higher learning owned by the Episcopal Church of South Sudan to offer quality studios and professional programs based on Christian values and principles of integrity, transparency and accountability to meet the challenges of the labour market and helping to achieve the development goals of South Sudan.

 The college started as an English Training Centrefrom2010 to 2011 with only three students, two of whom failed special entry examinations of Bishop Gwynne College in Juba. Before there were three students two students were coached in English Language and one passed, by Bishop Moses Deng Bol–Bishop of Wau Diocese and then ex- Diocesan Secretary Rev. Andrew Apiny was part of the scheme to improve their English Language to enable them to pass the special entry examinations in order to be admitted to Bishop Gwynne College in Juba.

In 2012, Bishop Moses Deng Bol opened a Theological College to educate pastors who were ordained, without theological training, during the 21 years of the Sudan civil war and appointed Rev. Joseph Mamer Manot as the first Principal of the College in July 2012. The three students became the first batch of the College in 2013 and one of them went back to St. Paul’s University where he was admitted for a three years Diploma programme in Theology. 

In April 2016, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul graduated the first batch of Theology students from the College, while in the same year, Archbishop Moses Deng Bol thought of adding new two Departments of Primary Education and Business Administration.

Presently, this College is running three departments, namely; Theology, Primary Education and Business Administration & Management, whereby the Department of Theology is the oldest one while the Department of Business Administration & Management is the largest Department at the College.  

The previous and new books, department by department;

This college 2012 was having a few books under two departments, namely the Department of Business Administration and Primary Education, but only the department of theology was having a big number of books.

In March 2022 College was having 4577 books, whereby the department of theology got 3466 books, business administration got 399 books, primary education got 441 and others such as books under agriculture got 60 books and health science got 211 books. Here are the details of the books which are under each program;

Primary Education books (English grammar has 201, mathematics has 52, education section 187, art and craft have one). Under the department of business, the administration has 399 books; (accounting books has 46, development economics has 23 books, taxation management has 2 books, business law has 69 books, peacebuilding has 65 books, organization behaviour has 9 books, marketing has 3 books, the business section has 105 books and management has 32 books.)

The details number of the books under the department of Theology, the oldest department in the college are as followed; (Bibles has 132 books, general commentary has 129 books, old testament exegesis has 47 books, old testament theology has 60 books, old testament commentary has 66 books, old testament background has 68 books, new testament exegesis has 148 books, new testament commentary has 109 books, new testament theology has 141 books new testament background has  77 books, general church history has 80 books, apologetics has 45 books, missiology has 126 books, religions has 52 books, children ministry has 30 books, hymnal books and music has 129 books, African theology has 57 books, African traditional region and Anglican has 150 books, ecclesiology church has 62 books, homiletics has 56 books, Priscilla papers has 89 books, man and women family has 55 books, faith and politics, Islamic studies has 65 books, Christian development has 55 books, canon bible has 14 books, bible interpretation has 123 books, systematic theology has 171 books, spirituality has 69 books, new church history has 31 books, early church history 76 books, protest and liturgy has 56 books, pastoral care 65 books, ethics has 50 books, spiritual references has 641 books, new life has 142 books.)

The new books that the college has just received were 547  books in 17 cartons, thus, not yet gotten the full details of the books which have just arrived to the college.

The plan for the new books by the College Administration

According to the plan or visionary plan of St. John’s College for ten years from 2020 up to 2030, the library and get books;  under the Department of Primary Education in five years college could get 2100 books, the Department of Business Administration in five years there could be 4000 books and  

Another import of having books in the library

As a result, the students and intellectuals in the state of Western Bahr el Ghazal Wau have got access to reading because it could improve their brain connectivity in solving problems at work or in the community. It could reduce their constant worry and experience good things. It could also lower blood pressure and heart rate if got books related to that. If they were reading books about peace and conflicts, they could have compassion for other people. They could fight melancholy symptoms and increase their vocabulary. And another area of reading it keeps your brain healthy and sleep better.

Lastly, reading books gives life lessons, love, fear and know the past knowledge of civilizations and cultures.