Guot Jok Guot Ngor was killed in March following gang - courtesy image

A family in Juba has been left in tears again after receiving the Senior Four results of their son who was killed by a gang in March this year.

Guot Jok Guot Ngor had sat for the Certificate of Secondary Education in December last year.

He was looking forward to joining university. But his life was cut short when he was attacked and killed by a gang in Gudele, a suburb of Juba.

His uncle, Ngor Jok, says Guot’s death was a heartbreaking moment. He said losing a child just as they are about to begin the next phase of life is a pain no family should go through.

Guot was only 20 years old when he died.

Jok describes his nephew as a polite and well-mannered young man who was always committed to his studies and ready to help.

“Guot was one of the best boys in the house, a very polite and well-mannered young man, you wouldn’t hear his voice in the house except for the word ‘yes’,” he says.

“He was very diligent with his studies and it was difficult to ask him for something and hear him refuse.”

After the Ministry of General Education announced the exam results on Wednesday, Jok said the late Guot scored an impressive 74.1 percent, an achievement that brought the family both sorrow and joy.

“As much as people are happy that he got the best result, there is sadness that he did not see or hear his result,” he says.

Orphaned at a young age

Guot had lived as an orphan since the age of three, after his mother died. He was raised by his uncle, Ngor Jok.

Jok says the family has dedicated Guot’s results to his late mother and to his own soul.

“We dedicate this result to his mother’s soul and his own soul. He is not with us, but he made us proud. He was working and waiting for the result, wishing to become a university student. But God willed that he would not be with us today. Despite that, we are happy that he succeeded, and we believe he is in a better place,” he explains.

Working while studying

While attending school, Guot also worked as a tuk tuk driver — a three-wheeled vehicle commonly used as a taxi in Juba.

“The money he earned from driving a rickshaw paid his school tuition fees. The news of his death was a big shock to us. When we received his results yesterday, it was a moment of both joy and sadness, because we had hoped he would be present and continue his educational journey, but fate had other plans,” Jok says.