Peter Bol

Peter Bol considers himself fortunate. When he returned to Southern Sudan from exile in Uganda without a job and no place to call home, the 22-year-old quickly landed a job as a construction worker on NRECA International’s electrification project and also found a home with his uncle and two cousins in the town of Yei. Born into the Dinka Tribe in the Upper Nile region of Southern Sudan, Peter is one of several hundred thousand refugees who fled the region as a child during the civil war and settled in a neighboring country. The signing of a peace accord in early 2005 signaled the end of the 20-year civil war, and Peter, along with millions of other displaced Sudanese, decided to return home.

In July, NRECA International began construction on the first phase of an electric system in the town of Yei, whose public power grid was destroyed by the war. Peter was one of the first locals employed to help install electric lines and poles. The work involves intense physical labor, but provides a much needed source of income in a town with few employment opportunities. Peter is excited about the possibilities that the electrification of Yei offers. At a recent ceremony held in Freedom Square, Yei’s town center, the streetlights over Yei’s central market area, soccer field, and major streets were formally inaugurated. For Peter, this was a transformational event. He says, “What I see around is so beautiful. I see the power in the street. I see the lights. Strangers won’t attack like thieves in the night because the street is much clearer.”

With the new streetlights and electric grid, Yei’s citizens feel safe to gather in Freedom Square in the evenings to read and exchange ideas or watch the always lively informal soccer games. Peter is focused on his education, and at his uncle’s house—a rebuilt hut that was bombed during the civil war—Peter sits on a tarp next to a stack of books. He picks up a reference volume on American English and points to his favorite section called “Formulating Ideas.” This is one of my favorites,” he says. After completing school in Uganda, Peter wants to help rebuild his hometown. He says, “I’d like to run for office because, as long as you’re helping your fellow man…” His voice trails off. Having been an integral part of NRECA International’s electrification project in Yei, and seeing the benefits first hand, he has decided to devote himself to public and community service.