The Republic of South Sudan is the youngest country to achieve sovereignty and got its independence in 2011. This young country is in a political crisis that has forced thousands of people to escape to other areas searching for peace and better social services. The situation has delayed the development in all sectors, but it is mainly the education sector that faces enormous challenges. Over 1.3 million primary school children are out of school. There are inadequate school infrastructures, lack of trained and qualified teachers, as most South Sudanese graduates tend to seek job opportunities outside South Sudan, where it is safe and secure.
There is a strong need for support for the education sector. Numerous international NGOs are undertaking that responsibility, but it’s still not enough. More educational projects need to be established to improve the lives of learners in schools.
In February 2014, the Foundation launched the DU program in collaboration with its partner AVSI Foundation to contribute to the local situation of crisis. With AVSI, a joint educational project was launched to accompany young people and adults towards a better future.
The activity was implemented through a partnership with the Catholic Church in the cities of Torit and Juba. Thanks to the close work with the local Dioceses, it was possible to set-up five informatics centers. Moreover, since the two cities’ education system was gradually improving, the need to introduce specific informatics courses was highly demanded by the local communities.
The country’s activity was so appreciated that in 2017 the DU program received an international recognition in Torit when over 50 employees of the UNIMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) attended the courses organized locally and were then awarded with DU certificates.
The DU Program was successfully run till June 2020, when the existing partnership with AVSI came to an end. We donated all the equipment to our partner that will now continue the activity independently.
