Bonnie Allen

Rallies and festivities in days leading up to referendum in South Sudan.

A woman holds up her open hand, the symbol for independence on the ballot.

South Sudan will be one of the poorest country in the world when it achieves independence, but anticipates billions of dollars in oil revenue.

Many southerners who fled the country or sought an education elsewhere during the war are now returning. Listen to my radio documentary about a distinct group..

Salva Kiir Mayärdït, President of Southern Sudan

Tens of thousands of southern Sudanese who had been living in the north have made the long trek back home. Some are seizing the moment to rejoin their homeland, and others fear what might happen to them if they remain in the north.

Humanitarian agencies are predicting a crisis. The government of South Sudan expects up to one million returnees from the north and surrounding countries, but the south lacks the infrastructure and jobs to absorb them.

There's little electricity or running water, a shortage of food, and few schools or hospitals.

But amidst those troubles, there is also joy. This brother and sister reunite after 20 years apart. Listen to my radio piece

A man celebrates after casting his ballot for independence.

An elderly woman who has lived through a lifetime of war and poverty holds up her ink-stained finger after voting for separation from northern Sudan.

But a social problem is brewing. Here, a woman scoops up her toxic concoction for drunk customers. Unemployed, uneducated men who spend their days drinking to escape their problems. Listen to radio documentary