Secondary schools in Juba’s UN-protected camps are appealing assistance from humanitarian NGOs and well-wishers who want to see the next generation of South Sudanese children to live a bright future.
The secondary schools in the two protection camps in Juba are Future Secondary school, Mat Secondary in PoC3 and Hope Secondary in PoC1.
Abraham Gatkuoth Chuol Thian, the deputy head teachers of Future Secondary School said they don’t have enough scholastic material like chalks, exercise for students, text book and blackboards. He added that they used to go to Juba town to buy the teaching materials but since the fighting in July all roads from and to the UNMISS have closed for men and only women are being used to buy things like chalk and books.
Chuol added 20 teachers who are teaching at Future Secondary are doing it on voluntary basis. “We requested UNICEF many times for support but the say we only support primary education.”
James Gatlong Riak, the headmaster of Hope Secondary School, says they are facing many problems but appreciate an effort by Agap Mission, an American christian charity, to support them with chalks and teaching blackboards and pay small incentive to twelve teachers.
But he said that the school still faces many problems, citing lack of teachers salaries, water and difficulties in dealing with children who witnessed serious conflict.
He appreciated the Chinese contingents of UNMISS for their “surprise” gifts they brought to the school in Juba this year which he say include some blackboard, chalks, atlas maps and more.
Schools in the UNMISS camps were established after the crisis in December 2013 in Juba and elsewhere across the country where there are protection camps. The schools are segregated from the rest of the national school system.
File photo: Secondary school student in Juba PoC