Johnson Reec Mading, a 28-year-old visually impaired student preparing to take the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) exams, which are taking place nationwide from December 2 to 11, was overjoyed to receive much-needed financial assistance for his examination journey.
The handover of $150, provided by the civil society group Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), took place on Thursday at Bor Secondary School in Jonglei State’s capital, Bor. This generous support came just days after Reec’s heartfelt appeal for help was aired on Radio Tamazuj.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj this afternoon, Reec expressed his gratitude, describing the cash support as a huge relief. “I am thankful for this merciful assistance. Securing funding for my exams and covering the travel expenses during this examination period is no longer a challenge,” he said.
Pech Manyok Pech, the principal of Bor Secondary School, praised Reec for his determination and academic excellence. “I first taught Reec in his first year, and he is a brilliant student. As a school, we fully support the assistance he is receiving. This $150 will help him during the 10 days of exams because he will need an aide to accompany him throughout,” Pech noted.
David Majok Jool, CEPO’s state coordinator, emphasized the importance of including persons with disabilities (PWDs) in society. He highlighted that this intervention demonstrated that PWDs are not being neglected, and called on all aid organizations to advocate for and support PWDs.
Lokuto Bismark, CEPO’s project officer, commended Reec for overcoming numerous challenges to pursue his education and reiterated CEPO’s commitment to supporting PWDs.
“This is the first time CEPO has provided such support at the secondary education level. We are also supporting four students at Juba University. As CEPO, we champion the rights of disabled persons. Our efforts contributed to the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the development of a national action plan for CRPD, and the enactment of a disability rights bill,” he said.