The Crop Training Centre in Central Equatoria State’s Yei River County on Tuesday launched policy documents and four new curricula for certificate courses that were developed with support from GIZ and GOPA on behalf of the German Development Cooperation.
According to a press release from GIZ, the event also included the inauguration of a sports arena with football, volleyball, and netball pitches for co-curricular activities at the center.
The launch event was attended by representatives of the local government line departments, including the County Education Department, the Payam Education Department, and the Directorate of Vocational Training in Yei, the private sector, educational institutions, youths, women, and students and graced by the presence of the Yei River County Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme.
“The new curricula contain teaching material for one-year certificate courses on Crop Production and Management, Animal Production and Management, Agriculture Extension and Agribusiness Management. The topics of the courses were identified based on a labor market and organizational capacity assessment with three certificate courses newly developed and one existing course reviewed and improved,” the statement reads in part. “The certificate courses have already met a huge interest with enrolment rates for self-sponsored students rising rapidly. One of the advantages of the new curriculum is that it provides greater possibilities for upward progression contributing to the strengthening of a qualified labor force in the region.”
“In addition, the new curriculum is based on a holistic approach with elements focused on students’ well-being integrated into all courses, including course components on mental health and psychosocial support as well as the provision of spaces for co-curricular activities, such as sports aiming to foster a conducive learning environment,” it added.
According to GIZ, the institutional policy documents launched include a Financial Management Policy, a Logistics and Procurement Management Policy and the Board Charter for the Crop Training Center contributing to institutional capacity strengthening for the improvement of service provision.
Support was provided by the project “Improved Living Conditions and Psychosocial Support in the Context of Forced Displacement (ILIPS)” implemented by GIZ and its partner GOPA on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The project supports returnees, internally displaced persons, and host communities to improve their agricultural production, educational opportunities, and access to psychosocial support services.
In South Sudan, GIZ works for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Germany provides humanitarian assistance and supports the long-term development of South Sudan, above all in the fields of local governance, rural development, sustainable agri-food systems, water and sanitation supply, peace and reconciliation, gender equality, and SGBV prevention.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft fü r Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations that supports the German Government in international cooperation for sustainable development.