Life amid the South Sudan Conflict
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Living in a
small house in the outskirts of South Sudan’s capital city Juba, Susanna has
been raising her three grandchildren by herself. Insecurity in the African
country has led to serious loss of life and over 1.9 million people seeking refuge
in neighbouring countries. Most members of Susanna’s family, including her
daughter and son-in-law, were killed in an attack on their village.
To make a
living for herself and her grandchildren, Susanna began collecting and selling
firewood. Recently, her neighbours invited her to visit the World Vision training
centres. There, she was able to attend weekly educational lessons and receive a
monthly allowance to purchase food for her family and invest in a business. The
centre has also become a place for women in the community to share experiences
and learn new skills.
“I’ve
already made a lot of changes in our lives,” she explains. “I keep our hut and
latrine clean and make sure food is prepared hygienically. I’m also learning
how to set up a business and how to spend money responsibly.”
Sepit,
Susanna’s eldest grandson, was also able to go to elementary school after she
joined the training group. “I’ve always had many plans for my children, but I
am now confident that they can actually come true,” she says. “I want to see
them in good health and receiving a good education. I want their horizons to be
broadened. If they are educated, they can see far and bring change to our
country.”
An extraordinary head teacher
While some people
like Susanna remain inside the country, others have managed to leave, ending up
in refugee camps. 28-year-old Par is
the head teacher of a World Vision-built primary school with 4,800 students in
Kakuma Refugee Camp. A South Sudanese citizen from an impoverished family who had
lost his father and two older brothers, Par was forced to quit school at a
young age. In 2004, when he learned from aid workers that he could get a chance
to study elsewhere, Par left his homeland with other boys. Few would have
imagined back then, that some 13 years later, this young man who had once
struggled just to keep his family alive would be helping his fellow countrymen
as a teacher at a refugee camp in Kenya.
“We were
brought here to Kakuma Refugee Camp. We stayed at the camp as unaccompanied
minors. We struggled every day – getting food, cooking, fetching water –
everything we did, we did by ourselves. There was nobody to take care of us.”
Nevertheless,
that was when Par started studying again. Beginning from Grade 3, he went on to
complete secondary school in 2014.
2014 would become a turning point in Par’s life. He got married and
started volunteering as a maths teacher at a primary school. Despite his lack
of experience, he excelled in the role. At the end of that year, his top
student scored the highest mark in maths in the entire refugee camp. He has also
become a popular figure among the students since then, which he believes is because
of his ability to relate to what most of them have experienced as refugees.
Earlier this year, Par became the head teacher of the school. And he is
very clear about what he wants to achieve.
“My goal is to help these students. Many South Sudanese enrol in school
here, but they’re scarred by the past. Children arrive and they’ve lost a
parent or sibling. They’ve witnessed gun fighting and other horrors. It takes a
long time for them to let go of that hostility and be able to focus on their
education. My main goal is to unite them, to create a culture of peace among
them within the school. I urge them to commit to their education because it
will help them in their future.
“When you get to see students succeeding, their minds and thoughts opening
up, that’s a great thing to be part of.”
World Vision is actively responding to needs arising from the ongoing
conflict in South Sudan, both inside and outside the country.
Learn more: Our work in South Sudan
ACT NOW to support South Sudanese children and families!
Published on 19 Sep 2017
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