The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Friday handed over a fully renovated primary school to the host community of Watdalelo Payam in Jur River County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
The Wadalelo primary school suffered occupation and destruction by armed forces during the conflict in 2016.
“With the assistance of a quick impact project, UNMISS took charge of the school’s refurbishment, working in collaboration with the locally based organization, Peace Friends’ Community Development Organization,” stated Honey Basnyat, the representative of UNMISS at the ceremony.
The project, executed at a cost of 50,000 USD, encompassed the renovation of eight classrooms, two offices, a meeting hall, toilet facilities, and chain-link fences. The implementing partner also extended additional gifts to benefit the school.
Joseph Luka Akuar, the Executive Director of Peace Friends’ Community for Development Organization, expressed gratitude for the renovation, saying, “UNMISS identified the school as a crucial means to attract learners who had returned home from Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. The renovation aimed to create a conducive environment for education.”
During the ceremony, Honey Basnyat emphasized UNMISS’s commitment to supporting the returnee population in the state, ensuring access to education and encouraging children to complete their primary education and progress to secondary school.
Chief James Aguer of Watdalelo Payam appreciated UNMISS’s support and urged the government and partners to consider renovating the primary healthcare centre in the area, highlighting the dire need for improved healthcare facilities.
“Watdalelo is a big area when you hear about Watdalelo, it starts from Khabur-Ngab through the river up to here; it is a highland. This is about Watdalelo Payam Jur River County but it lacks many things. Look at the hospital; women just deliver on the ground like goats, and people say there is a development in South Sudan. Is Watdalelo within South Sudan or not? If it is within South Sudan, then we need the healthcare centre to be renovated like this school has been renovated,” said Chief Aguer.
Brig. Pasquale Dawud Jano, the SPLA-IO police officer in the area, urged for the establishment of a police station to enhance security. He called on the government not to overly rely on humanitarian aid, emphasizing the importance of self-sufficiency.
“As you have seen today, the issue of this school has been solved. The exercises, pens and books, is the organization going to bring these to us also? Until when will the organizations continue helping us as South Sudanese? What is going to be our work? Yes, we destroyed it and renovated it again; you, the pupils, take advantage of the opportunity to study so that you can go and replicate this project in other places,” said Jano.
Awad Nyang, Deputy Director for Basic and Secondary Education in the state, expressed gratitude for UNMISS’s support in education and assured that the government would make efforts to improve the standard of education throughout the state. He revealed that Western Bahr el Ghazal state currently boasts over 500 primary schools, with plans to provide more scholastic materials in the coming year.
“We came here in January to start renovating this school and today we have again come to Watdalelo to take over the school after a good renovation. We in the Ministry of Education, we are providing what we have, we currently have exercise books and benches,” said Nyang.
However, despite the success of renovating Watdalelo primary school, other schools in the region still face challenges. As a result of insufficient facilities, many pupils are forced to attend classes under trees.