While teaching mathematics and statistics at Middle Tennessee State University as a lecturer, Alier Reng tutored some of his friends on the weekends for free. And after he left teaching at MTSU, he thought that the best way to give back to his community was to establish an online tutoring program to offer free tutoring and mentoring services to South Sudanese working parents and young people who could not afford paid-private tutoring and mentoring programs. Additionally, as former refugees (for about 14 years, both in Ethiopia and Kenya) who were blessed to be granted resettlement status in the United States of America, the now JIT team also agreed to establish a comprehensive nonprofit organization to empower South Sudanese families to better compete in life, particularly in the West or the entire diaspora. Thus, the JITeam convened a teleconference on January 28, 2018, and established both the Jonglei Institute of Science & Technology (JIST) and the Family Hearts Initiative to offer free online education, tutoring, and mentorship and to empower South Sudanese families in the diaspora by providing them free financial literacy training to help them learn how to manage their finances better so that they can save money for their kids’ education, as well as for their retirements. However, the team later decided (in 2019) to bring the two organizations together to maximize their efforts and optimize their limited resources. They named the new organization “Jonglei Institute of Technology.”
I’ve been at LifePoint for over 5 years now and for reasons I can’t fully explain, the Mercy Award is one I value deeply. I think, at its core, it holds up the kind of people I admire, the kind of people I want to surround myself with, and the kind of person I want to be. You didn’t need the Mercy Award to tell anyone about the kind of person you are, but I feel thankful that you DID win so I could learn about and admire you in a more fully informed way. (Jason W. Ross, Senior Vice President, LifePoint Health)
WHO WE ARE
Jonglei Institute of Technology (JIT) is a faith-based nonprofit organization established by a group of Lost Boys and Lost Girls of Sudan to empower South Sudanese diaspora families by providing them free online education, tutoring, mentoring services; Bible studies and spiritual support, counseling, and guidance; as we as provide them free financial literacy training. JITeam strongly believes that these free services will help South Sudanese families to become successful. And when these families succeed, they will be able to raise successful kids, for successful families raise successful kids.
Our Mission
Empowering Our Families to Better Compete in Life.
WHAT WE DO
we’re an online knowledge exchange program and a Family First advocate, JIT plans to partner with some of the major universities in South Sudan to educate our future leaders in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and STEM. Moreover, JIT hopes to apply for government grants to establish tutoring and mentoring centers in major cities in the US, Canada, and Australia, to bring our services closer to our people in their respective communities.The Hub of innovation through machine learning, artificial intelligence, and STEM; The Leader in building and supporting Christ-centered families whose husbands and wives are financially literate; The leading advocate for kids’ education and personal health fitness; The Learning Resource Center for South Sudanese data scientists, data analysts, students, and professors.
Our Vision
We aspire to be:
Compassion
As former refugees (for about 14 years), we, the JIT founders, have confronted myriads of difficulties and are now witnessing others going through the same challenges as kids in various refugee camps in East Africa. These past experiences informed our decision to establish JIT to empower our families in the diaspora to better compete in life – we believe that it is incumbent upon us to use our blessings to change more lives with free online education, free tutoring, and mentoring, as well as free financial literacy training, spiritual support, counseling, and guidance.Integrity
At JIT, our decision-making process is guided by a moral compass and ethical standards drawn from our past life experiences and our Christian background.Stewardship
Whatever we own in this world, be it knowledge, skill, or any other valuable resources utilized to advance humanity, we owe it unto God. For it is written that: “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” (Matthew 13:12) Therefore, at JIT, we take accountability seriously to ensure that our Bylaws spend our limited resources to advance our mission of Empowering Our (South Sudanese) Families to Better Compete in Life. By the same token, we treat our staff members with dignity and respect, and we provide them adequate resources to perform their duties without any impediments.Excellence
We all know that it takes a great deal of action and hard work to achieve Excellence. And this is why our team of amazing and gifted leaders is working hard day in and day out to ensure that we become and continue to be the epitome of Excellence in delivering world-class online education using state-of-the-art open-source software (R and Python) at a zero cost to our learners. For it is written that: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Col. 3:23-24, NIV)Join Our Team
Angeth Deng Garang
Coordinator
Reuben Panchol
Secretary
Gai Bol Luom
Vice President
Abraham Atem Akech
Treasurer
Alier Reng
President