By Ray Stranske | Board Chair, Project Education South Sudan
Fifty high school girls are crowded into the small PESS office space in Bor, South Sudan. They are students discussing “Women in STEM” – science, technology, engineering and math. These young girls have their sights set high, given they live in a country where 84% of women above 15 years of age are not able to read. We hear repeatedly the ambitious goals of students in our educational program – goals to become a doctor, a scientist, a lawyer, or a pilot. This Saturday morning discussion on Women in STEM took place in early July, and was part of the Global Awareness Program (GAP). GAP discussion questions and educational guide are provided monthly through a partnership between PESS and New York based international non-profit organization She’s The First (STF). STF provides scholarships to many of the students in our program, as they do also for hundreds of girls in numerous countries around the world. STF also provides a rich set of support materials to assist organizations like PESS who improve education opportunities for young eager students. The students express amazement that there are hundreds of high school girls, around the world, who are discussing the same questions, grappling with the same issues – they sense they are not alone in this endeavor.
The PESS students are also grappling with another question posed by STF – the question of inequality for women in South Sudanese society. Each student is writing a short essay on the subject this month, and these essays will be shared with the donors who provide scholarships for the students. Students report feeling empowered when they can write about such questions, knowing that the same subject is being discussed by other girl students around the world, also seeking an improved society. Rather than internalizing the limitations that these students recognize in their society, they are writing about how to overcome the limitations.
Many of you have been helping support our educational efforts in South Sudan for years. Please know how much we value your vote of confidence. Despite the tragic conflict raging in South Sudan, Daniel Gai and his team keep producing results. According to a report published by UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, and their humanitarian and development partners in South Sudan “Education cannot wait for the war to end”! Continuing education, despite the conflict, provides “…the structure and stimulation for healthy cognitive, social and emotional development”. The active engagement, recreation, and mental focus lessens the chance of youth being recruited into the armed conflict, and helps prepare youth for leadership, once the conflict is resolved. (ideas and quotes from: South Sudan Education Cluster national assessment of the status of education, November 2016).
Daniel’s team now includes two graduates of the PESS educational program, Abuk and Anna. Your generous contributions are now helping former students to assist their younger peers – a double win. We offer our deepest gratitude. Thanks for giving these sharp young girls a chance! Here are three of the current students (receiving scholarships from STF) that Abuk and Anna are coaching – future leaders.
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