Primary school teachers at Doro Camp in South Sudan’s Maban County went on strike earlier this week claiming dues from the organization Save the Children.
Maban County has been generally calm compared to other areas of Upper Nile State, but many NGOs evacuated earlier this year and aid operations suffered from fuel shortages because insecurity cut off barge access between Juba and Malakal.
Residents of Doro camp, one of four in the county, were among 120,000 refugees already present in South Sudan before the crisis started in mid-December, having crossed from neighbouring Blue Nile State since 2011.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, several teachers expressed resentment at the organization for a supposed delay in paying teacher salaries for five schools in Doro camp.
Daffallah Ellaga, a teacher at Al Nur Primary School, said salaries have delayed for more than 45 days, whereas teachers in Jendresa and Yusuf Batil camps were paid on 27 January by the World Food Programme.
Many teachers in Doro camp have resigned from teaching and some of them resorted to taking jobs as aid workers at other non-governmental organizations, said the educator, putting the number of deserting teachers at 15 out of 100.
He cautioned, “In case this organization remains funding the education process in Doro camp, the education of our children will be at risk.”
Doro teachers called on the donor community to replace Save the Children with another more effective education organization.
Photo: A girl plays with a toy train at a UNICEF-supported ‘child-friendly space’ at a refugee camp (UNICEF/Brian Sokol)