After speaking with high school students at a school in Juba in my mixed-Middle Eastern dialect of Arabic, the young men and women burst out laughing. Upon arrival in Juba I was pleasantly surprised to find that, while I could understand only bits and pieces of the Juba-Arabic – a sort of psudo Arabic, the dialect sprinkled with words from local tribal languages, and the cadence of speech decidedly different – they could understand me quite well. I find being able to communicate directly with people you’re reporting on one of the most critical elements in building trust and making intimate work, and even though we’re not completely on the same page in South Sudan, being able to make occasional connections makes work much more engaging.

– Alex Potter