Improving access to eduction for children in South Sudan

Thanks to generous donations from the people of Scotland, SCIAF’s 2021 WEE BOX appeal raised over £2.8 million, including £1.3 million in match funding from the UK government to support some of the most marginalised children in South Sudan.

What's happening in South Sudan? 

Born from decades of civil war, its 14-year history has been plagued by violence – and conflict remains commonplace. As one the world's poorest countries, conflict and civil war have had a catastrophic effect on the country’s fragile economy. And repeated episodes of flooding and drought have left millions of people enduring extreme hunger.  

For the majority of people in South Sudan, life is extremely hard. But for the most marginalised – women, the young, the old and those with disabilities – it’s near impossible.  

How is SCIAF helping?

With our partner, SEM, we’ve been helping hundreds of young people with disabilities access mainstream education, challenging negative stereotypes about gender and disability, and improving inclusivity in the communities we work.  

For young people who needed emergency medical care, funding was also provided for them to access healthcare in Uganda, so they could recover and continue with their everyday activities.  

Together, this work has helped transform lives, and kick-started initiatives that will have a lasting impact.

Accessing education  

In South Sudan, to attend school, young people must be able to meet their own personal care requirements. But for many children with disabilities, these tasks can be extremely challenging – and a major obstacle to accessing education.

There is often also failure to consider the baisc needs of women and girls; menstrual health is often disregarded.

Together, thanks to a person-centred approach, hundreds of extraordinary students are now attending school – something they couldn’t do or wouldn’t consider doing before the project began. 

In schools, to support inclusive learning, we have:

• repaired classrooms
• installed ramps
• provided desks
• trained teachers in inclusive education
• supplied braille and audio tapes so children with additional needs can join in
• trained students, teachers and community members in sign-language
• provided uniforms for the most disadvantaged families.
• established several new school clubs.

These school activities include debating clubs to boost confidence; gardening clubs to learn about growing food; sport clubs that bring together girls and boys of all abilities; and health clubs focused on personal and menstrual care, challenging stigmas and taboos.  

Work in the communities has focused on challenging attitudes and behaviours and building a long-lasting commitment to inclusive education. 

A focus on empowering girls 

In poor countries like South Sudan, many young women miss school every month because of their periods. Often, this is due to a lack of menstrual products or inadequate facilities which mean they cannot manage their periods safely and privately.

What’s more, menstruation is often surrounded by stigma and shrouded in shame, decreasing girls’ confidence and leading to school dropouts. 

To address these challenges, this project has provided menstrual pads to girls across South Sudan. These pads are made from reusable materials, so can be washed and used again safely without additional expense.

Through our local partners, we also helped raise awareness about womens' issues and period health through special community workshops.

The key message throughout this work is that every child, regardless of their gender or ability, has the right to go to school – and that education is of vital importance in breaking the cycle of poverty.