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Rose is happy. Every day, rain or shine, she and the others greet us with splendid and joyful traditional Acholi song and dance in front of the simple but sturdy brick building that served as their classroom.

Rose is a frontline healthcare worker from a village along the River Kit in South Sudan, and she came to this brick building determined to learn: how to recognize warning signs during pregnancy, how to resuscitate a newborn that is not breathing, how to make rehydration solution to counteract diarrhea and other life-saving practices.

In a context where the infant mortality rate currently stands at a staggering 50%, this is no small accomplishment.

Rose is one of the many South Sudanese who returned home from refugee camps in Uganda after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was enacted on January 6th, 2005.

Since the independence declaration of July 9th, 2011, Rose has been a citizen of the Republic of South Sudan – the world’s newest nation. The pride and enthusiasm of South Sudan’s ethnically diverse population - 98.3% of which voted in favor of independence - is omnipresent: in Juba, the capital, one billboard advertising White Bull Lager calls for “A Toast for A New Nation.” “Martyrs: Your Blood Cemented Our National Foundation” - proclaims another. Pro-independence T-shirts and miniature South Sudanese flags are for sale on many a street corner.

Yet the path of nation-building that lies ahead is a long one, and it is courageous people like Rose who are truly making a difference.

Rose’s village can be reached via the country’s one paved highway, which heads south from Juba towards Uganda. It is a quiet place, with neat clusters of circular thatched huts surrounded by the fields where the residents practice subsistence agriculture. Cattle are prized as women’s dowries; ugali, blocks of white polenta, is a staple food. In spring the much-awaited white ant harvest takes place, sending children and adults alike into a frenzy as they strive to capture as many of the ants as possible and quickly remove their wings in order to prevent escape. Once ground into a paste and enhanced with spices, white ants are a vital source of protein for the villagers.

“Now that I have acquired some basic skills, thanks to this program, I am going to do a lot,” says Rose. “Please just don’t forget about us… Please come back, so that we can learn more.”

The proverbial phoenix is indeed rising from the ashes of war.