20 November 2008 - on Universal Children's Day, girls champion education in Southern Sudan
Girls in Southern Sudan have taken the opportunity of Universal Children's Day to speak out on the importance of education, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly on 20 November 1989. Throughout this week, the UN radio station in Sudan - Miraya FM - has been airing live studio interviews and pre-recorded discussions with a range of individuals who have made contributions to the lives of children across Southern Sudan, focusing on the current situation of children, achievements that have been made and the challenges that still remain. Amongst the children taking part have been girl students in local schools and young activists from Southern Sudan’s Girls Education Movement (GEM), which promotes girls' education in local communities. Other participants have included key government officials from the Ministry of Gender, Social Welfare and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of the Government of Southern Sudan. “Parents should know that girls and boys are equal and they shouldn’t only focus on boys alone,” said 16 year old Jina Peter Morgan, a student at Juba Day Secondary school in the capital of Southern Sudan, speaking in one interview. "Most children are given a lot of domestic work, and left with little time to read - but being in school, I know how to read, write and understand many things." Fellow student Gloria Joseph pointed to the longer term benefits of a good education. "If you are not educated, you can't get a good job and be able to support your family in the future," she noted. Considerable progress has been made for children across Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, which ended decades of civil war and established a Government of National Unity and semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan. Education is seen as one of the greatest “peace dividends” in Southern Sudan, with estimated enrolment trebling over the last three years to some 1.3 million students. Of these, an estimated 34 per cent are girls, indicating that more efforts are needed to boost female enrolment. The Girls' Education Movement is one initiative supported by UNICEF to help promote the value of girls' education to families and community leaders across Southern Sudan. Fourteen-year old Viola Lingo told Miraya FM that education was not just important to her, but to others in her family. "Education is a source of knowledge for a good life," she said. "I want my sisters who are not in school to know that education is important." That is a sentiment echoed by her teacher, Jeremiah Wani Ladu. "Girls' education is as important as that of boys. They are the mothers of the future generation.""Girls' education is as important as that of boys. They are the mothers of the future generation, who can enlighten the newborns of the next generation." Other events being staged to mark the anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child will include songs and road shows by the Southern Sudan Artists’ Association and drama activities led by children. The Convention has been ratified by nearly every country in the world including Sudan, and establishes that anyone below 18 years of age is a child with the right to special care and protection, and that governments have the responsibility to uphold that right. “The children of Southern Sudan need to be at the centre of our decisions, planning and policies in order to achieve sustainable development. To invest in our children is to invest in the future of Southern Sudan. We have lost several generations to war and can’t afford to loose another generation,”said Mary Kiden, Minister for Gender, Social Welfare and Religious Affairs of the Government of Southern Sudan. The week’s activities will culminate later today with a special party for children and young people in Juba hosted by senior government officials.
"You can't plan without knowing what is on the ground” "The opportunity to continue classes has given Deng and Monica a measure of stability in the face of an uncertain future" |
