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SOUTH SUDAN / YAMBIO NEW SCHOOLS
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / YAMBIO NEW SCHOOLS
TRT: 03:45
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / ARABIC / NATS
DATELINE: 13 DECEMBER 2019, BAZUMBURU / 04 MARCH 2020, BAZUMBURU / 27 MARCH 2020, SAKURE / 08 JUNE 2020, BAZUMBURU / 10 JUNE 2020, SAKURE, SOUTH SUDAN
04 MARCH 2020, BAZUMBURU, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, children learning under trees
13 DECEMBER 2019, BAZUMBURU, SOUTH SUDAN
2. Various shots, UN Peacekeepers meeting local community
08 JUNE 2020, BAZUMBURU, SOUTH SUDAN
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Tahiru Ibrahim, Relief, Reintegration and Protection Officer, UNMISS Field Office in Yambio:
“We saw that each time we are passing, children are sitting under trees and learning, and we thought that this is unacceptable during the 21st century to have children still learning under trees, when they could have been in school infrastructure. But we saw the dedication and the commitment of the children, as well as the teachers, each time we are passing. So, we decided to interact with the community and we also realized that most of the children and parents had returned as IDPs.”
13 DECEMBER 2020, BAZUMBURU, SOUTH SUDAN
4. Various shots, UN peacekeepers meeting local community
10 JUNE 2020, SAKURE, SOUTH SUDAN
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Moses Beggary, UNMISS Child Protection Assistant:
“South Sudan is in situation of fighting, in a situation of armed conflict, but we always said: “let us give the child a pen and a book instead of giving the child bullets and guns.”
27 MARCH 2020, SAKURE, SOUTH SUDAN
6. Various shots, local community joined the construction for the schools
04 MARCH 2020, BAZUMBURU, SOUTH SUDAN
7. Various shots, local community joined the construction of the schools
8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mary Sebit, Resident of Yambio:
“We are bringing this water so that a school can be built for our children, because we are tired. There is no room for our children for learning. If it rains, they come back home with their books damaged by the rain.”
08 JUNE 2020, BAZUMBURU, SOUTH SUDAN
9. Various shots, final inspection of the school facilities
10 JUNE 2020, SAKURE, SOUTH SUDAN
10. Various shots, final inspection of the school facilities.
08 JUNE 2020 BAZUMBURU, SOUTH SUDAN
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Joseph Aguto, Local Authority:
“We, as a Ministry of Education, we are happy because we hope this facility is going to attract more children to come to school, to come and have their learning completely without this environmental interference interrupting their learning.”
12. Various shots, final inspections of the school facilities
10 JUNE 2020, SAKURE, SOUTH SUDAN
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Tahiru Ibrahim, Relief, Reintegration and Protection Officer, UNMISS Field Office in Yambio:
“We are committed to continue to support the people of South Sudan in their search for durable peace, but also in their quest to enhance social and economic wellbeing.”
14. Pan right, final school structure
Under these ancient trees, children eager to learn gather together to hear the wise advice of their teacher as they look forward to the possibility of a future beyond war. This community about 35 kilometres from Yambio, in Western Equatoria, suffered terribly during the crisis in South Sudan, forced to leave their homes to find sanctuary together.
With the relative calm since the signing of the 2018 peace deal, life is slowly getting back to normal, although the challenge of finding accommodation for schooling remains.
Peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan were moved by the plight of these children as they carried out their regular patrols and were inspired to build them schools in an effort to contribute to the building of peace.
That’s how this site became the humble beginning of primary school for the communities of Bazumburu and Sakure.
SOUNDBITE (English) Tahiru Ibrahim, Relief, Reintegration and Protection Officer, UNMISS Field Office in Yambio:
“We saw that each time we are passing, children are sitting under trees and learning, and we thought that this is unacceptable during the 21st century to have children still learning under trees, when they could have been in school infrastructure. But we saw the dedication and the commitment of the children, as well as the teachers, each time we are passing. So, we decided to interact with the community and we also realized that most of the children and parents had returned as IDPs.”
UNMISS’ child protection team saw the Quick Impact Project as an opportunity to provide hope and opportunities for children in the area to reach their full potential despite the hardship they have endured.
SOUNDBITE (English) Moses Baggari, UNMISS Child Protection Assistant:
“South Sudan is in situation of fighting, in a situation of armed conflict, but we always said: “let us give the child a pen and a book instead of giving the child bullets and guns.”
The local community tirelessly joined the construction efforts, with women carrying water to help build the shelters for their children.
SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mary Sebit, Resident of Yambio:
“We are bringing this water so that a school can be built for our children, because we are tired. There is no room for our children for learning. If it rains, they come back home with their books damaged by the rain.”
Local authorities say the new classrooms will make the learning environment safer for students, so they can concentrate more on their studies without interruption from others passing through the compound.
SOUNDBITE (English) Joseph Aguto, Local authority:
“We as a Ministry of education we are happy because this facility is going to attract more children to come to school without this environmental interference interrupting their learning.”
For UNMISS, the project is about building durable peace for the sake of this generation as well as generations to come.
SOUNDBITE (English) Tahiru Ibrahim, Relief, Reintegration and Protection Officer, UNMISS Field Office in Yambio:
“We are committed to continue to support the people of South Sudan in their search for durable peace, but also in their quest to enhance social and economic wellbeing”
Each of the schools at Sakure and Bazumburu schools now have a classroom block and latrine. Given Yambio experiences nine months of rainfall, the shelter will provide great relief for the children who will now be able to stay dry and safe indoors while building a brighter future for themselves and their families.
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