Southern Sudan Education Project Update

In February 2005, members of our team visited Southern Sudan to complete a needs assessment of schools and education issues in Bor South County of the Upper Nile Region of Southern Sudan. We interviewed government leaders, community elders, school administrators, teachers, and students. The results of our research support the Southern Sudan Education Project goals to provide basic education supplies to the children of Southern Sudan and to build and support permanent and effective schools in the area. The children of Southern Sudan desire and deserve quality education. With your help, the Southern Sudan Education Project will provide quality education to these children so that they may rebuild their country after a 21-year civil war.

Education Analysis

Of the 70,000 children in Bor South County, less than 6,000 attend school. There are many barriers to school attendance including lack of supplies, lack of clothes dilapidated buildings, and cultural issues. Many children walk up to 2 hours to attend school. School supplies are extremely limited. Most classrooms have a chalk board and nothing else. When books are available, the teacher often has one book for the entire classroom. Students cut the few notebooks they have in half to use for exercise books and share paper and pencils. Most schools have mud hut classrooms with thatched roofs. Some have one large building made of mud bricks. The buildings are destroyed by erosion and termites after about one year. Many classes are held under trees.

Girls in School

Girls face additional challenges to education. Only 24% of students are girls. The vast majority of girls dont attend school because their mothers need them at home to assist with maintaining the household. Girls carry water, grind grain, cook, and tend to younger children. Many women and girls walk 2 hours each way to manual water pumps and then wait in line to pump 5 gallons of water. The water pumps we saw were busy from 4 a.m. until 11 p.m. every day. Women carry the water back home on their head. It is often a 2 hour walk to get grain and then a tedious process to pound and grind it by hand. Under these conditions, mothers simply cannot spare their daughters for school and continue to feed their families. When mothers were asked what it would take for them to allow their girls to attend school, many said that if they had more water pumps, automated water pumps, and automated grain mills, they could more-easily spare their daughters for school.

Child Soldiers

Some students are child soldiers who have been demobilized during the past 3 years. Many of these young men suffer from psychological trauma as a result of their experiences during the war. No mental health counseling or treatment is provided for these former child soldiers because of lack of resources. Many child soldiers are not attending school because they must attend classes with children much younger than themselves. We were also told that many former child soldiers had traveled to Uganda and Kenya to try to get education because the education in Bor South County is inadequate.

Teachers

Most teachers work as volunteers. Because of the lack of teacher compensation, teachers must cultivate their crops and tend their cattle to provide for their family. As a result, teaching becomes a secondary priority. The teachers we talked with continue to teach under these circumstances because they know the value of education for individuals, for the community, and for the country.

Secondary School

At least 19 students recently passed the Kenyan Certification of Primary Education, however there are no secondary schools in the county so their education is halted at 8th grade. There are currently no plans to build secondary schools because of lack of resources including a lack of secondary education textbooks and laboratory equipment.


Project Plans

We will continue to collect school supplies and financial contributions to build and support a school in the village of Yomchiir in Bor South County of the Upper Nile Region of Southern Sudan. We were specifically asked by village elders to give priority to providing supplies and supporting teachers. And we were told by Kuol Biar Akol, a Yomchiir village elder: If you educate these children, we will have peace in Sudan. If you do not educate these children, we will remain in war.

Supplies

We will continue to collect backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, and other basic school supplies. In addition, we will also collect textbooks and other educational reading material to stock a library at the school that can be used by the entire community. We will also provide clothing to the children in the school and possibly uniforms. Schools in the region have used uniforms in the past and have found them to be a motivator for school attendance.  Sports and physical education equipment is non-existent in the region. We will provide sports and physical education equipment including soccer, volleyball, and basketball equipment. We are looking for individuals and organizations that are motivated to sponsor sports and physical education programs at the school in Southern Sudan.


Teacher Support

We will raise funds to provide consistent and adequate support for teachers. Teachers in Southern Sudan are motivated to provide education and it is critical that they receive ongoing financial support and training. We will also provide bicycles to the teachers at the school as an additional incentive. We are looking for people who are interested in sponsoring teachers in Southern Sudan.


Automated Grain Mills and Water Pumps

In addition to school supplies and teacher support, we will raise funds to install an automated grain mill and automated water pumps in the community. Providing these devices will enable more girls to attend school. Automated grain mills could also generate some income for the school. We are looking for individuals and organizations that are motivated to sponsor these projects. If you are interested in assisting us with these projects, please contact us!

School Construction

Annual reconstruction of school buildings is a drain on the community. Although the community has committed to reconstruct buildings for the school, it is the goal of our project to construct permanent school buildings. It is also critical to provide secondary education for the 19 students who have passed the KCPE, the returning refugees, and existing primary school students who will soon be ready for secondary school. Permanent school construction of primary and secondary school buildings will demonstrate solid commitment to education in the region.

How can you help create quality education for the children of Southern Sudan?

Please consider making a contribution to the Southern Sudan Education Project. Together we can create quality education for children in Southern Sudan. Please see our donations page for information about how to contribute to the Southern Sudan Education Project. Thank you!

Southern Sudan Education Project Update

In February 2005, members of our team visited Southern Sudan to complete a needs assessment of schools and education issues in Bor South County of the Upper Nile Region of Southern Sudan. We interviewed government leaders, community elders, school administrators, teachers, and students. The results of our research support the Southern Sudan Education Project goals to provide basic education supplies to the children of Southern Sudan and to build and support permanent and effective schools in the area. The children of Southern Sudan desire and deserve quality education. With your help, the Southern Sudan Education Project will provide quality education to these children so that they may rebuild their country after a 21-year civil war.

Education Analysis

Of the 70,000 children in Bor South County, less than 6,000 attend school. There are many barriers to school attendance including lack of supplies, lack of clothes dilapidated buildings, and cultural issues. Many children walk up to 2 hours to attend school. School supplies are extremely limited. Most classrooms have a chalk board and nothing else. When books are available, the teacher often has one book for the entire classroom. Students cut the few notebooks they have in half to use for exercise books and share paper and pencils. Most schools have mud hut classrooms with thatched roofs. Some have one large building made of mud bricks. The buildings are destroyed by erosion and termites after about one year. Many classes are held under trees.

Girls in School

Girls face additional challenges to education. Only 24% of students are girls. The vast majority of girls dont attend school because their mothers need them at home to assist with maintaining the household. Girls carry water, grind grain, cook, and tend to younger children. Many women and girls walk 2 hours each way to manual water pumps and then wait in line to pump 5 gallons of water. The water pumps we saw were busy from 4 a.m. until 11 p.m. every day. Women carry the water back home on their head. It is often a 2 hour walk to get grain and then a tedious process to pound and grind it by hand. Under these conditions, mothers simply cannot spare their daughters for school and continue to feed their families. When mothers were asked what it would take for them to allow their girls to attend school, many said that if they had more water pumps, automated water pumps, and automated grain mills, they could more-easily spare their daughters for school.

Child Soldiers

Some students are child soldiers who have been demobilized during the past 3 years. Many of these young men suffer from psychological trauma as a result of their experiences during the war. No mental health counseling or treatment is provided for these former child soldiers because of lack of resources. Many child soldiers are not attending school because they must attend classes with children much younger than themselves. We were also told that many former child soldiers had traveled to Uganda and Kenya to try to get education because the education in Bor South County is inadequate.

Teachers

Most teachers work as volunteers. Because of the lack of teacher compensation, teachers must cultivate their crops and tend their cattle to provide for their family. As a result, teaching becomes a secondary priority. The teachers we talked with continue to teach under these circumstances because they know the value of education for individuals, for the community, and for the country.

Secondary School

At least 19 students recently passed the Kenyan Certification of Primary Education, however there are no secondary schools in the county so their education is halted at 8th grade. There are currently no plans to build secondary schools because of lack of resources including a lack of secondary education textbooks and laboratory equipment.


Project Plans

We will continue to collect school supplies and financial contributions to build and support a school in the village of Yomchiir in Bor South County of the Upper Nile Region of Southern Sudan. We were specifically asked by village elders to give priority to providing supplies and supporting teachers. And we were told by Kuol Biar Akol, a Yomchiir village elder: If you educate these children, we will have peace in Sudan. If you do not educate these children, we will remain in war.

Supplies

We will continue to collect backpacks, notebooks, pens, pencils, and other basic school supplies. In addition, we will also collect textbooks and other educational reading material to stock a library at the school that can be used by the entire community. We will also provide clothing to the children in the school and possibly uniforms. Schools in the region have used uniforms in the past and have found them to be a motivator for school attendance.  Sports and physical education equipment is non-existent in the region. We will provide sports and physical education equipment including soccer, volleyball, and basketball equipment. We are looking for individuals and organizations that are motivated to sponsor sports and physical education programs at the school in Southern Sudan.


Teacher Support

We will raise funds to provide consistent and adequate support for teachers. Teachers in Southern Sudan are motivated to provide education and it is critical that they receive ongoing financial support and training. We will also provide bicycles to the teachers at the school as an additional incentive. We are looking for people who are interested in sponsoring teachers in Southern Sudan.


Automated Grain Mills and Water Pumps

In addition to school supplies and teacher support, we will raise funds to install an automated grain mill and automated water pumps in the community. Providing these devices will enable more girls to attend school. Automated grain mills could also generate some income for the school. We are looking for individuals and organizations that are motivated to sponsor these projects. If you are interested in assisting us with these projects, please contact us!

School Construction

Annual reconstruction of school buildings is a drain on the community. Although the community has committed to reconstruct buildings for the school, it is the goal of our project to construct permanent school buildings. It is also critical to provide secondary education for the 19 students who have passed the KCPE, the returning refugees, and existing primary school students who will soon be ready for secondary school. Permanent school construction of primary and secondary school buildings will demonstrate solid commitment to education in the region.

How can you help create quality education for the children of Southern Sudan?

Please consider making a contribution to the Southern Sudan Education Project. Together we can create quality education for children in Southern Sudan. Please see our donations page for information about how to contribute to the Southern Sudan Education Project. Thank you!