In line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) to spread quality education to all parts of the world, we kicked off our Scholar’s Empowerment Program (SEP) to enable committed graduates of Ariang Primary to transition to secondary schools. We have selected nine students to join Senior One (9th Grade) and will support them through Senior Four.

 

This program will sponsor nine students in 2019 and grow that number by six each year. A total of 27 students will benefit from this sponsorship by 2022.

 

 

Nyalong and Monica: our first female beneficiaries. They were Ariang’s top female students in South Sudan’s National Exams at Ariang School  in 2017

The program emphasizes girls’ education because girls in South Sudan are usually left out in many educational opportunities. Due to limited resources, many families prefer to invest in boys’ education. Many of girls across South Sudan are married off young and start families while still underage, while others stay at home to help their parents with house chores and farm work. This is one way in which the cycle of poverty continues to dominate most areas of South Sudan. One part of SEP’s mission is to address these obstacles and enable girls to reach their full potential.

 

 

From left: Marko Diing (orphan), Jonn Angok, Nyalong Manut, and Monica Awut holding some of their boarding materials.

SEP also focuses on opening up new leadership and social opportunities for these students. During their four-year sponsorship period, the program will expose them to leadership training and social opportunities so that they can build key 21st-century skills. This will enable them to develop strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills so that they leave SEP not only with a high school certificate but with the essential tools needed to be self-sufficient. This has the potential to end extreme poverty and curb some cultural adversities that hold their communities back. Therefore, the students are encouraged to practice teamwork and engage in community-building organized workshops and seminars. This will increase their understanding of how things work.

These co-curricular activities will enrich them with skills and experiences that will unlock their full potential in becoming responsible people beyond the ordinary.