“My name is John Kiir Ater Kon. I am from Aweil in the Bahr el Ghazal region of South Sudan. In 1983, when I was 5 years old, I was displaced during the Sudanese Civil War and I went to a camp school supported by Catholic missionaries in Sudan. I finished my primary and secondary schooling in Sudan in 2006. After that, I worked with the NGO Solidarités International in Darfur. I was working in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) department, and became interested in the studies of geology and water. However, there was no school to study this, as I don’t have any financial support. After working there for three months, I went to the Don Bosco Technical School to study general construction, focusing on masonry and carpentry. I obtained a certificate in General Construction which gave me the skills to work in many INGOs after South Sudan gained independent from Sudan in 2011.”
How did you learn about Alison?
In 2011, I attended a computer course where one of my teachers taught me about the internet and its advantages – one of which is it can help you find a good educational institution. I was looking for free course online and I discovered Alison. I started my first courses – Introduction to Plumbing and Understanding Drainage and Water Distribution Systems.
What was your first course on Alison, and why did you choose it?
My first courses were Introduction to Plumbing and Understanding Drainage and Water Distribution Systems because I like working in the water department to improve public health. I’ve also studied Project Management, Operation Management, Human Resources and Educational Psychology.
How have Alison courses affected your career?
Alison courses have change my life. Through Alison I am now in deep, working in the water department. I’ve gone from zero to 80% of my dream.
What’s your favourite way to relax from studying?
If I find time, even one hour, I can log in and use that time for self-improvement, as education is free with Alison. I now study courses in Health and Workplace Safety. “The past has no power over the present moment.” So I keep myself busy with self-education on Alison.
Where are you working now?
For three years now, I’ve been working with Medair, an INGO, as Senior WASH and Construction Officer.
What’s next for you, in terms of education?
To finish my dreams means, either through Alison or other institutions in my country, to get a degree and then my master’s.
If you could learn absolutely anything in the world from an Alison course, what would it be?
Everything I have learned from Alison has changed my life. Most people in my area call me “Dr” or “PhD” because of my studying so many course in different areas with Alison.
What would you say to someone if they asked you about Alison? Would you recommend it and why?
Alison is the right place for education and it fulfills one of the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that education should be free. Since 2014, I have recommended Alison to my people in Aweil and most people have joined. For me, Alison is the home of education for everyone on the world.