About Us: Our Mission in South Sudan

A family for South Sudan's most vulnerable children

Nile Orphan Care is a faith-driven organization walking alongside orphaned, abandoned and at-risk children across South Sudan. What began as a single scholarship program in 2011 has grown into a family of care providing shelter, education, healthcare and nutrition, so every child we serve has the chance to grow up safe, loved and hopeful about the future.

Rev. John Deng Ater, Founder and Executive Director of Nile Orphan Care

"Growing up during the Sudanese civil war, I experienced loss and displacement at an early age. I lost my father when I was eight years old, and for many years refugee camps became my home, first in Uganda and later in Kenya. During that time, I saw children and families struggle with hunger, poverty, disease, and limited access to education.

Those experiences shaped the way I see the world. Through every hardship, my faith in God gave me strength and taught me the importance of compassion and service. I came to believe that no child should be left without care, hope, or the opportunity to build a better future simply because of the circumstances into which they were born.

That belief led me to found Nile Orphan Care. My vision is to restore hope for orphaned and vulnerable children in South Sudan by providing care, education, protection, and opportunities to develop the skills they need for the future. I believe that when we invest in a child today, we help build a stronger and more hopeful South Sudan tomorrow."

"Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow,' when you now have it with you."

Proverbs 3:27-28

How NOC Finds and Adopts Children

Although its priority is to help children who lost parents either through war or HIV/AIDS, etc., Nile Orphan Care finds it extremely difficult to turn down or stand by as a staggering number of children in war-torn South Sudan are wailing in the street and not knowing what tomorrow holds for them. For that reason, the organization has four ways to find and adopt children:

Reunification Program

What About the Parents?

Under this program, Nile Orphan Care continues to work closely with communities or sponsored children for the possibility of reunification with parents or guardians. Although this program presents challenges because some parents don't want their children back or some children refuse to regress to life they escaped, the organization strives to create conducive environment and peaceful transition through training and counseling.