Cooperation Yields a Community Center

Wai John Wai attended ISP’s 2008 workshop. Originally from Bor, in Southern Sudan, Wai now lives in San Diego. Prior to attending our workshop, Wai had a passion for youth, working with the Sudanese American Basketball Youth League in San Diego, and with the Sudanese Youth Conference out of Nashville, Tennessee. At our workshop, Wai glimpsed the possibilities that appear when people put aside their differences to work together toward a common goal. He knew then and there that he wanted to build that type of community in his adopted home town of San Diego.

Since attending our workshop, Wai has been working to develop a Sudanese American Youth Center in his community. His vision for a community center that would bring together Sudanese from all parts of Sudan and help them become successful in the United States while still maintaining their cultural identity and values is now a reality.

For nine months, people from Darfur, Nuba Mountains, Northern Sudan and Southern Sudan worked together, sacrificing their energy, time and personal finances to build the community center. On Saturday, April 17, 2010, the Sudanese American Youth Center of San Diego held its grand opening celebration. The center offers career planning services, job training, language courses, after-school programming and more – all with the goal of empowering young people to help one another and serve their communities.

Visit www.saycsd.org for more information on the Youth Center.