James Manyok Ayuen was born in the Bor Region of what is now South Sudan, and was forced to flee for his life around age 5 with over 22,000 other children to escape the violence of civil war. There were only a handful of adults available to help guide them on this extremely treacherous journey. With very little food or water to sustain them and frequent encounters with wild predators, there were many tragic losses along the way. After traveling through dangerous, arid terrain for over 1,200 miles on foot, James and some of the other surviving children were settled in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Nine years later, James was fortunate to be among 3,800 "Lost Boys and Girls" who were brought to the United States through a US government-sponsored refugee resettlement program for unaccompanied minors.

James learned English, finished high school and assimilated into American culture. He worked hard, determined to obtain a higher education so he could return to his native land to help others as he had been helped.

While living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. Ayuen completed the International Affairs Policy Fellowship Program at Carnegie Mellon University in 2008 and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from La Salle University in 2009. He later received a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah, in 2017.

Meeting his educational goals, Mr. Ayuen has proved to be an accomplished advocate for the South Sudanese people and has returned to his homeland to provide influential assistance many times. He often shares his story while addressing public audiences with the hopes of gathering support for his fellow compatriots. Speaking at the United Nations headquarters and various other organizations, he helped mobilize critical U.S. support for South Sudan to become an independent nation in 2011. He also worked closely with the new government of South Sudan and the World Bank Group to foster economic development and political stability in the previously volatile region of Juba, South Sudan.

Mr. Ayuen founded African Independence Development (AID) in 2020 as an IRS-approved, tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization classified as a public charity with a stated mission “to enhance African independence through supporting long-term educational and agricultural projects.” Since then, Mr. Ayuen has worked with close colleagues, friends, neighbors and family members to raise funding and resources with an objective of building and maintaining modern, self-sustaining schools that provide world-class faculty and curriculum to deliver life-transforming opportunities to students of all ages in educationally deprived areas in Africa. By design, this educational program will also promote modern agricultural advancements in the region and support ambitious health-care initiatives to better the lives of individuals and strengthen communities. 

In an effort to preserve South Sudanese traditions and culture, Mr. Ayuen has authored the first volume of a children’s book series that relates the folklore of his people that he learned as a child. He partnered with American schoolchildren at Quest Academy in West Haven, Utah, who donated their time and talents to provide illustrations for the book which is due for release in 2025. Proceeds from the sale of this book series will provide direct funding for African Independence Development’s educational programming.

Currently, Mr. Ayuen is the president of The Greater Bor Community of the United States, an organization dedicated to supporting members of the Bor region who are settled in the USA, as well as in their homeland of South Sudan and those living in refugee camps in bordering nations. Mr. Ayuen co-founded and serves as CEO of Ayuen & Nutakor Services, LLC, a community-based service for individuals with developmental disabilities. He is also currently working as a financial analyst in global services. He commits a significant portion of his personal earnings to send to extended family and close friends in his homeland, some of whom have lived in refugee camps for over 20 years.

Mr. Ayuen's primary focus at present is to successfully facilitate the legal process of bringing over an initial group of applicants for resettlement to the U.S. through Welcome Corps, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). He has invested his own means and has invited family members and close friends to participate in this program so that together they can build a strong foundation for future refugee support. 

He has also been working to preserve the precious Sudd Wetlands habitat of the Jonglei state – which is the largest wetland in Africa and the second largest in the world by – influencing modern safe oil drilling practices.

Mr. Ayuen is simultaneously working to further our organization’s ambitious goal to open the doors of our first modern school in South Sudan. We have the ardent hope that, with growing support, we may begin uplifting and transforming the lives of students and their families as quickly as possible. Mr Ayuen invites your participation in helping the developing nation of South Sudan and its people.

Fred J. Roberts has been involved in charitable work in various capacities for many years. As a young adult, he fulfilled a 2-year volunteer commitment as a missionary for his church in England and then pursued a degree in Business Finance from Brigham Young University in Utah. Following graduation, Mr. Roberts co-owned and operated a row crop farm in Eastern Oregon for 25 years. He also served on numerous local, state, and national commodity associations, boards, and commissions. Later, Mr. Roberts worked for Advanced Health Care as an administrator of Aspen Ridge of Utah Valley, a short-term skilled nursing facility in Orem, Utah.

In association with Refugee Action Network, Mr. Roberts initiated a host-family network with like-minded neighbors in Orem in 2016, in an effort to engage with the needs of people living with refugee status in Utah County. The group began with a desire to help others and members considered the experience a wonderfully enlarging for all involved, as they marveled at the benefits brought to all participants. 

Together with his wife Mary, Mr. Roberts is raising a family of nine children while striving to continue to live a life of community and church service. He has served in numerous leadership positions giving him meaningful association with people from many different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. Upon retirement in 2023, Fred and Mary relocated to the Boise, Idaho area where they continue charitable service. He is delighted to lend his energies and decades of experience to support the initiatives of African Independence Development (AID) in hopes of bringing about improvement in the lives of the South Sudanese people.

Jen Jones is a decorated teacher and Education Director for AID. She has received 1 international and 2 national recognitions for the educational programs she has developed. She has interacted professionally with organizations such as NASA, the Space Foundation, the Mars Society, and the Computer Science Teachers Association, and she has worked with students at all levels from 1st through 9th grade, teaching skills from how to turn on a computer to programming and data analytics.

As a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) coordinator, she has seen the changes that can come in students' lives as they gain skills, putting them at a competitive advantage for high-paying modern jobs. Even students who struggle in core education areas can excel in STEM areas given the right opportunities, support, and instruction.  

Jen Jones helped develop a personalized competency-based learning model (PCBL) at her current school that has been recognized nationally as one of 7 model schools for implementing these advanced learning strategies, which emphasize knowledge and skill acquisition over points and grades. 

Jen Jones dreams of being able to bring the PCBL learning model to schools in Africa allowing students to not only gain competency in first-world skills and knowledge but also allow students to start where they are, regardless of age, and learn at their own pace until they have achieved the competencies they desire for the career they have chosen. She sees the opportunity for refugees to start a new life in the United States and have educational opportunities as a first step in that process.

David Purnell has maintained a lifelong commitment to helping others in need. His experience in agriculture, government, law, international relations, and business combine to provide the knowledge, skills, and leadership to successfully support our projects. David grew up raising livestock, and later received a degree in Agricultural law from the University of Arkansas. Besides teaching law, he also owned and managed several businesses relating to agriculture, law, and technology. He has had the opportunity to work and live in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. He currently resides in Idaho.