PIBOR – A little more than a year ago, some 80 students at Kabachoch Primary School were dependent on favorable weather conditions - both rain or extremely hot sun could mean cancellation of classes.
“We had no infrastructure. Classes were held under trees or makeshift sheds. During rain or strong winds, lessons had to be suspended, and both teachers and learners were forced to go home,” says Hadiya Nyaboki, head teacher at the school.
Today, things have changed: the school remains open, no matter the weather, following last year’s construction of school premises that boast of two classrooms and a teacher’s office, with funding from the United Nation Mission in South Sudan’s (UNMISS) Quick Impact Projects—small scale infrastructural interventions designed to address urgent community needs.
“Having a proper building has changed the way we approach our education,” says 13-year-old Sabit Mama Lopenek, a student at the school. “Our teachers are energized and so are we. We come to school with excitement every day and no matter what weather it is, our classes continue.”
Another visible change is the marked increase in enrollment numbers. Existing students have since been joined by 198 fellow learners; currently there are 186 boys and 92 girls enjoying their new learning spaces.
Not only has the construction made a positive difference in terms of children receiving consistent lessons, it has also improved hygiene standards, with two permanent latrines serving students and teachers. The nearby waterpoint ensures that cleanliness is maintained.
Still, challenges remain. The school requires six additional classrooms to provide comprehensive primary education to Kabachoch communities; it currently doesn’t have this capacity. Other necessary improvements are a perimeter fence, teacher accommodation, solar power for lighting and the recruitment of additional teachers.
For now, the project is an illustration of the power that proper infrastructure can have on people.
As illustrated by Geetha Pious, the Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Bor, such initiatives are also an effective peacebuilding tool: “The classrooms constructed in Pibor symbolize our commitment to build peace – investing in education as the strongest pillar for long term stability.”
Because the future of South Sudan lies in the hands of its children.
By Mach Samuel
