Wuor Bhang

My name is Wuor Bhang. I was born in Limkuon, Nyirol County, South Sudan. Fleeing civil conflict in 2014, I resettled in Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, where I navigated a new multicultural environment and pursued education against significant odds. I earned a computer science degree from the University of the People and completed the MIT Emerging Talent Certificate in Data Science, a program for displaced learners where I honed skills in data analysis, backend development, and AI for social impact.

Today, Wuor is building the NAATH ARCHIVE, a digital platform preserving Nuer cultural heritage through open-access historical records, videos, and articles. I am also designing the Nyirol Institute of Innovation and Technology, a proposed nonprofit distance-learning initiative to bring higher education to rural remote regions of Nyirol County, Jonglei State, South Sudan, where students currently trek over 1,200 km through dangerous terrain to access universities either in Kenya or Ethiopia, which are far, like 2,500 km and 1,200 km, respectively.

My civic tech vision includes developing the South Sudan Education Data Map to analyze school accessibility, dropout risks, and learning gaps. I aim to leverage data science and community-driven technology to expand equitable education access across displaced and underserved communities, working alongside humanitarian partners and local governments to turn this vision into reality by 2030 or sooner, with support.