The civil war in South Sudan, the world's newest country, still rages on and thousands of asylum seekers have travelled to every corner of the earth, to find some respite from the conflict. Hundreds of Madi people were resettled in Hobart Tasmania, where they have become active in the local community while still striving to hold on to their traditional culture, language, and history, and to pass this knowledge on to the younger generation. Many of these Madi children have been innocent bystanders in national conflicts with civil wars lasting their entire lives. Many were raised largely in refugee camps and so have little connection to their traditional way of life. Their parents have seen so much horror and keen to ensure their traditional stories and way of life are passed on to the next generation.

In 2014, after more than two years of collaborative effort with the Madi community, the Tasmanian Writers' Centre has published two books - "When I Was a Boy in Sudan" and "When I Was a Girl in Sudan". Madi leaders, Sarafino Enadio and Paslaina Eiyo joined with writer, Terry Whitebeach to develop these beautifully crafted stores illustrated by Gay McKinnon.

The Tasmanian Writers' Centre is now on a mission to sell enough books to raise $4,000. And Crowbar, run by Arts Tasmania, will match that by 50%, contributing another $2,000 to the cause. 

With that money we will accomplish two major things. Firstly we will send two thousand copies of the books to the children in South Sudan, specifically in the Madi speaking homeland of Loa. The books will serve as a line of communication between the Madi people in South Sudan, in Hobart, and throughout the world, connecting their culture, language, and their past.

We will follow the journey of the books to the schools in Southern Sudan. Postage is non-existent so the books will need to be taken by air and road. We will follow and document the trip with Sarafino’s help, as he accompanies the books across borders.

$6,000 may seem like a lot of money, but South Sudan is one of the most highly restricted logistical lines in the world. The books will go on a journey by air to northern Africa, and then will be accompanied on a difficult journey overland to the Madi homeland.

The journey won't only be about delivering books, it will also be about putting the finishing touches to a 4th book in the series. Terry Whitebeach, well-known Tasmanian author, and Sarafino Enadio, are writing the fourth book, slated to be published and distributed by Allen and Unwin in July next year. Sarafino's life forms the basis for the main character, and this trip back into Sudan will provide the final research needed for it’s completion.

In saying all that, navigating the logistics will be very challenging. In a volatile environment, no amount of planning will completely cover all bases. There will be unknowns, setbacks, and disappointments. But we have a team dedicated to making this project work. Sarafino has a tightly knit and dedicated family in South Sudan who are right behind the project and are willing to pull strings to get these books into their school. Our local churches, NGO's and government organisation, will also help us to establish the connections from Hobart to Loa and with your help we can make this happen.

Join is to help the children of South Sudan with books they can hold and enjoy. We hope by making this the delivery we can give the Madi children in South Sudan some tools toward their education.

And a special thanks to the Crowbar program, run by Arts Tasmania, which will match .50c to every dollar raised in this campaign!