South Sudan is Power

Mayom Adhal: Photo: Daryl Crowden

As I enter the school compound I am welcomed by most of the 1,000 students led by tall, strong, proud looking young women resplendent in purple uniform shirts. In 4 abreast marching formation, from tallest to smallest they march around the compound singing and repeating amongst other words I understand: "South Sudan is Power... "

WV has been working in this school in Mayom Adhal (Aweil North), and 32 other schools across the County, for almost three years supporting WFP school feeding programs. In a lean-to shack behind one of the classrooms three women, Mums who have been trained by the WFP program to cook and deliver food hygienically and safely, tend to two fires burning under huge pots of a porridge of sorghum, beans and lentils.

Mayom Adhal: Photo: Daryl Crowden

Like a number of other states of South Sudan, Northern Bahr el Ghazal is severely food insecure. (IPC4: At least 20% of households face extreme food consumption gaps, resulting in very high levels of acute malnutrition and excess mortality.) As I met with Council officials I am told "People are hungry". This WFP/World Vision feeding activity is helping, children are receiving at least one meal which is packed with nutrition. But until now, they came to a school with no, or very bad sanitation facilities and no clean safe, water. As a result of the lack of latrine facilities many young girls stay away.

The introduction of the Australian Government (DFAT) funded Humanitarian Partnership Agreement South Sudan response (Africa) has allowed for the opportunity to design a wholistic program of health, dignity and wellbeing.

• With a local partner we are building latrine blocks that will be private, disability accessible and gender segregated.
• Around the school colourful posters raising awareness of basic hygiene practices remind the community of the importance of hand washing and other the dangers of open defecation. We hope that these latrines will also bring young women back to school.
• We are also providing LifeStraw Community units to each classroom and two for common/community use. Children and teachers bring their own container of (mostly contaminated) water to school each day, empty it into their classrooms LifeStraw and throughout the day they have clean, safe drinking water.

Mayom Adhal: Photo: Cecil Laguardia

These complementary WFP/DFAT/WV programming activities are essential to addressing the needs of the community, and most importantly to improving the wellbeing of children through the provision of their basic rights. If this means that children are happy, safe and healthy at school then South Sudan has a generation of educated children to look forward to and the hope of a peaceful and bright future.