A YEAR IN
SOUTH SUDAN
SUMMARY REPORT
2010
These students used to learn under a tree; they now have a classroom
3
OUR PRIORITIES
GOOD REASONS
in South Sudan
why Plan works in South Sudan
• Ensuring children have the chance of a good education, and that girls in particular are encouraged to complete their schooling
• There are an estimated four million internally displaced people in Sudan • Almost half of Sudanese children do not get the chance to go to school
• 36 per cent of girls will marry before the age of 18, affecting their education and opportunity to increase their status
• Supporting vocational and technical training for young people to enabling them to find work and secure an income in the aftermath of war and conflict
Tigris
‘Students like James and Mubark are helping Karkheh Euph rates South Sudan pull away from conflict and take its first steps to development.’ ISRAEL
IRAN
IRAQ
JORDAN
Nile
KUWAIT
BAHRAIN QATAR
U. A
Students start the day at new classrooms constructed with Plan’s support
Nil
South Sudan Facts Languages: Arabic and English
Khartoum
An Nahud
SUDAN
Wad Madani Kosti Guli North Kordofan
tto Ko
DIJBOUTI
ETHIOPIA
Wau Southern Sudan
UGANDA
KENYA
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Jub
hua
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Fimi
SOMALIA
o
Tana
DEM REPUBLIC Lo Ts OF CONGO
Lokoro
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RWANDA
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Juba Lainya
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Ruki
YEMEN ERITREA
SOMALIA
Representative Office Plan Operations Program Units
Loba ye
Edduweim Kassala River Atbara
Alaga
Al Fashir
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
SAUDI ARABIA
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as well as 400 local dialects. Climate: South Sudan contains areas of swamp and rainforest. The rainy season lasts for up to six months (June to November) in the south. Economy: Rich mineral resources are available in Sudan including: petroleum, natural gas, gold, silver, chrome, asbestos, manganese,
Darfur
Lualaba
(estimated)
e Port Sudan
Atbara Northern Sudan
CHAD
gypsum, mica, zinc, iron, lead, uranium, copper, kaolin, cobalt, granite, nickel and tin. Agriculture production remains Sudan’s most important sector, employing 80 per cent of the workforce and contributingSUDAN 39 per cent of GDP, but most farms remain rain-fed and susceptible to drought. Despite natural resources much of the population remains at or below the poverty line.
Oubangui
Capital: Juba Population: 8.2 million
EGYPT
LIBYA
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Focus on:
stability through technical and vocational training Decades of conflict have left South Sudan in desperate need of a skilled workforce to secure the country’s future. Plan offers young people the chance of education, technical and vocational training to find employment and improve their incomes. Our work includes building, refurbishing and equipping technical and vocational schools and centres. We support centres
to offer teaching in skills like carpentry. We promote training for teachers and aim to ensure greater numbers of girls enrol in technical and vocational training and complete their education. We also raise awareness of children’s and young people’s rights. A community meeting to promote childhood education, in particular for girls
A New Start for Mubark Mubark is very glad he gave Juba Technical High School a second chance.
If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have had the skills to repair his first car engine, earning himself 700 Sudanese pounds (about A$342) and the chance to buy new books and shoes. Mubark has always wanted to be a car mechanic. His father was an engineer, and started teaching him the basics when he was small and later encouraged him to apply for a place to study auto-repairs at the technical school. Mubark’s delight at being accepted on the course was soon matched by disappointment in the terrible state of Juba school. There was not enough space or equipment and the teaching was poor, as a third-year student recalls: ‘In the past we did not have workshop rooms; practical tools were few; we used to conduct our practical [lessons] under a tree. Teachers were very few and less skilled and therefore we were not happy about the conditions.’ It was hardly surprising that soon after joining the school, Mubark dropped out. Skills and peace Like many schools and technical colleges in South Sudan, Juba Technical High School was hit hard by decades of conflict. Such was the damage inflicted on the school that it wasn’t a fit place for learning. Years of fighting had also robbed the education system of trained, qualified teachers. Plan knows that opportunities for a decent education and vocational training are crucial if the country is to leave its past behind and emerge as a modern, skills-based economy. Since 1997, we have worked on building, renovating and raising the standards of vocational schools. Transformation Our assessment of Juba Technical High School revealed it urgently needed access to an uninterrupted power supply, latrines for the students, an administration block, teachers’ quarters and refurbished classrooms. Four new workshops were built and equipped to offer training in construction, carpentry,
Produced for Southern Sudan by Plan International Australia.
metal working and car mechanics. Science laboratories deliver teaching in biology, chemistry and physics. Like the school’s computer centre, they are also used for coaching by outside agencies. ‘Our campus looks beautiful now,’ says one of the students. Another student comments: ‘Now, with the improvements made, we are happy that we are well equipped to meet our expectations.’ Mubark agrees and is back in class. ‘The school has totally changed,’ he says. ‘The auto mechanics section has become fascinating because we now have a vast workshop hall with enough materials.’ His return to school has already improved his prospects, as he explains: ‘With the knowledge I am gaining I also work in a workshop at Mahata Yei market during weekend and after school hours.’ His friend Jafar is studying carpentry. Like Mubark, he has a view of how his future could unfold. ‘I have made some tables and windows for my family and I am hoping to make more for the market, to help myself and my family,’ he says. Students like Jafar and Mubark are helping South Sudan pull away from conflict and take its first steps to development. For Plan, their future success will be mirrored in the progress of their country. Some names have been changed for child protection and privacy reasons.
‘Giving young people opportunities for a decent education and vocational training is crucial if the country is to leave its past behind and emerge as a modern, skills-based economy.’
The Bigger Picture Plan is working with children, families and communities to find sustainable solutions to the challenges in South Sudan. We have only given you a small insight into Plan’s work in South Sudan with this report but over the past year we also: • Protected children’s health by offering training to 21 community health workers and traditional birth attendants • Gave children access to education by supporting the construction of four primary schools in Lainya and Juba counties • Began adult literacy classes in two schools, targeting children, young people and adults who have missed out on education as a result of war • Worked to protect children from harm by collaborating with the government to begin an assessment on violence against children in schools Your support as a sponsor is crucial to achieving these results. With the resources provided by sponsors, Plan expertise and the collaboration of communities and local partners we are making a big difference to the lives of people in South Sudan. Thank you for your involvement! To learn more about Plan’s work in Southern Sudan visit plan.org.au/ourwork/ southernafrica/southern_sudan
‘In the area of education, which is our main focus, Plan continues to support the establishment of child-friendly schools and technical and vocational institutes’ – Justin Biragane, Program Leader of Plan’s South Sudan Program