Restoring hope for South Sudanese refugee children

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

According to UNICEF some 24 million children of more than 109 million living in nations at war are not in school, worldwide. South Sudan takes the highest proportion with half of school age children are out of school because of conflict. Niger is a close second, with 47 percent unable to attend school, followed by Sudan (41percent) and Afghanistan (40 percent).

Since the war broke out, more than 800 schools have been demolished and more than 400,000 children had to abandon their classrooms, the agency said.

Only one in 10 South Sudanese students who enter school finish primary education amid a shortage of facilities and trained teachers, BBC quoted Phuong T.  Nguyen, UNICEF’s chief of education for South Sudan as saying.

Ethiopia hosts over 760,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers according to UNHCR’s September 2016 report.  South Sudanese refugees take the highest population with over 300,000 (39.5 percent) followed by Somalia 254,000 (33.5 percent).  

Fortunately, amid this sad story some youth who flee the war are taking a new, but different life direction. Contrary to the situation, one can see the hope inside from their smiling face. They share, to anyone who listen their heart beat, their aspiration of tomorrow for themselves and their country.

For 19-year-old Gatwich Juck who entered Ethiopia in 2014 from Jonglie county everything turned bad following the war.  He couldn’t continue his education as his parents were dispersed elsewhere. Fortunately he is pursuing his education he missed at home.  “For me this is a great opportunity.  My siblings who are now in South Sudan are not in school. My dream is becoming a doctor and I believe I will realize that only by education. I wish I will go to South Sudan when peace is restored and serve my people,” says Gatwich with a mixed feeling.

World Vision Ethiopia has been intervening in WASH and Education in Emergencies in response to South Sudanese refugees in Gambella. Over the past two years, WV Ethiopia educated 2053 South Sudanese refugee children at Kule refugee camp and handed over to Development and Inter-Church Aid Commission (DIACAC) so that they can continue grade 9 onwards.  WV constructed two blocks of eight classrooms with all facilities and handed over to ARRA. Also provided with educational materials, uniforms and water as well as employed 74 teachers and care givers. Enabled over 1700 South Sudanese refugee students to sit for grade eight national examinations in two rounds and except for 10 students all passed to grade nine successfully. Also WV provided uniforms, bags, exercise books, pens, and pencils, worth 41871 USD and distributed 20720 textbooks worth 63, 242 USD to 2053 refugee students at Kule camp and employed 91 teachers and caregivers paying 3000 USD every month. 

Nyamach Lual Tut, 28, is a mother of two who widowed recently. Her husband Simon Guch Nguok Tang, a security guard of former vice president Riek Machar, was killed in Juba in cross-fire in July 2016.  Nyamach is in charge of two of her children, her siblings, and her cousin.  "I had a very tough 6 days long travel on my feet carrying my first child from Nasir County to the border of Ethiopia. She registered to continue her education in grade 9 by the support of WV. “I want to be a doctor and go to my country to serve my people,” says Nyamach. 

Little children are also privileged to learning pre-school education. WV established 15 reading camps for children and employed two teachers for each reading camp. “I like reading fun stories and English Alpabets,” says5 year old Nyagoa Yien.