�鶹Լ�� Media Action Feed

Developing media after civil war: How �鶹Լ�� Media Action is working to support South Sudan's media

2022-05-03T09:44:26+00:00

In the months and years following civil war, media and communication have a central role to play in bridging divides, by providing space for dialogue, and building understanding and knowledge.

In South Sudan, tensions still flare despite the 2018 peace agreement that formally ended its multi-sided civil war. Yet the country’s media industry, so important in reconciling communities, is at serious risk. Early in 2022, a prominent South Sudanese civil society activist called on the donor community to fund media projects in the country, warning that media practitioners are quitting their professions due to the decline in funding.

Edmund Yakani, who heads the Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO), said that emerging media houses don’t last, due to lack of funding, censorship and the poor salaries associated with a media career in South Sudan.

Yakani’s statement is supported by our recent 2021 assessment of numerous media house partners as part of our Life in Lulu radio programme and associated activities.

Weeks or months without operating

We discovered that due to lack of funds, some media houses may go for days, weeks or months without operating. Others have had to cease operations completely.

These closures are not only associated with a lack of funding. Inadequate media knowledge and technical skills are also major factors. For example, some local media houses do not employ radio technicians, citing lack of budget for their salaries. This leaves presenters to multitask as radio technicians to close the gap – without the training and knowledge to do so.

Steps to address the challenges

Last year, through our Life in Lulu project, we selected 10 radio stations - mostly at national level - to partner with. All face many of the same issues, and have participated in sessions with two trainers: one focused on technical training, and one on building journalists' capacity in media and editorial skills more generally.

Our editorial trainer focuses on editorial policy and governance, content moderation, production skills, audience research, fact checking and information verification, safeguarding, and issues of disability and inclusion. The technical trainer, an experienced radio technician, covers in-depth knowledge of equipment maintenance, installation and management.

As part of Life in Lulu, �鶹Լ�� Media Action is also donating radio equipment to our 10 partner radio stations to help smooth their operations; they are also paid for airing our Life in Lulu radio drama programmes.

Meet our partner - Good News Radio

Good News Radio team, South Sudan

Good News Radio was named Most Trusted Radio in South Sudan 2021, based on research by Internews South Sudan. It is led by Marial Deng, a multimedia journalist with more than 10 years’ experience, and operates under the Catholic Radio Network, a religious media entity managing numerous media houses across South Sudan.

It is difficult to manage a radio house in the fragile Lakes State, an area renowned for revenge killings and cattle raids. Marial describes it as a tough and stressful task.

“Apart from funding inaccessibility, you will find there are situations where the radio lacks some very important equipment. For example, currently, we are lacking a biometric door lock system, on-air light, backup transmitter, and new computers for staff,” he said.

“The station also lacks field relay live broadcast to broadcast live events, recorders for the broadcast journalist to conduct recordings and headphones for the on-air studio and the broadcast journalist.”

His staff need technical training on equipment maintenance and management, he said, and would benefit from training on more general reporting and content creation skills.

Marial added that the station also faces the challenge of a low coverage area; his station uses a 2.5KW transmitter that covers a 150-kilometre radius.

Still, he said the station has over 1.2 million listeners, according to the 2013 UNMISS assessment report – demonstrating the continuing importance of radio as a source of information, entertainment and connection in the country.

Meet our partner - Nile FM

Nile FM team, South Sudan

In 2013, the popular Malakal Town of Upper Nile was devastated by a series of civil wars that forced almost all of the town’s population to seek refuge at the United Nations Protection of Civilians Site (POC). Malakal POC is home to 31,095 internally displaced persons, according to September 2021 UN-IOM data.

Our call for applications to receive our training included radio stations from war-affected areas, and Nile FM – a humanitarian radio operating at the UN Hub – more than met the required standard qualifications. Originally managed by Internews South Sudan, Nile FM is now part of a local Community Engagement Network with support from international organisations, but struggles for sufficient funding.

Because of this, the radio station, which previously was run by more than 10 employees, is now operated by only three people. Dau Nyok, Nile FM station manager, says the institution lacks a lot of important equipment.

“We lack new computers for staff and a desktop for the on-air PC, field relay live broadcast to broadcast live events at the POC or at the Freedom Square, and recorders for the broadcast journalist to conduct recordings.

“Other missing equipment includes a studio console to improve quality and increase the number of phone lines and headphones for the on-air studio and the broadcast journalist,” said Dau.

Closing knowledge gaps

Good News South Sudan training

From October 2021 to March 2022, we carried out training to boost our partners’ future outlook and sustainability. These sessions were not limited to cities; three current Nile FM three staff and former seven employees in November 2021 attended a four-day training on editorial policy governance, safeguarding, disability, production skills and gender-sensitive reporting in Malakal Town.

Two senior staff from Nile FM were also part of five days of training on radio management, fundraising, sustainability and financial management, to help them generate funds and grow the institution in the absence of donors.

Nile FM staffer Aban Christopher said one of his main take-aways was from the safeguarding session. “This unit will help to protect myself and respect others, especially my colleagues, so that I don’t hurt them but instead take care of them while at work and at home.”

“As a journalist, the presentation on editorial guidelines was really important for my ethical growth. Secondly, the session on production was so good, because it will always make me prepare myself ahead of an interview or a program,” said female journalist Amani Ibrahim.

Journalist Malek Bol added: “The training has touched on a lot of very good things, especially what I really wanted to learn. The topic of gender sensitive reporting is a key, because gender issues are happening in our communities and we as media need to report a lot on that topic, so that our communities can change and even start prioritising issues for example taking girls to school.”

Quality in reporting

Good News Radio staff – of whom 10 attended our October 2021 editorial, safeguarding and production skills training – said the mix of theory and practical sessions has built their knowledge and skills.

“The training was excellent, and I have gained a lot from it, especially on topics such as considering inclusion when reporting, why it’s important to know the rights of people with disabilities not to be left out and ensuring equality when reporting,” said Monica Amesio, who presents a daily programme, The Evening Experience.

Mary Agum, presenter of Good Morning Lakes State – a daily current affairs programme – said: “Personally, the most enjoyable part of the training was production and content moderation sessions. This is simply because the skills will immediately help on how to improve my interviewing skills and others.”

Renewing our spirit

Station manager Marial Deng said the training had “renewed our spirit to work harder to deliver. I could see the staff so engaged and attentive during your presentation- meaning the sessions were interesting.

“Honestly, we have not been doing programmes on disability, safeguarding, although airtime is there for such programmes. The radio station staff will make use of the knowledge they have acquired,” said Marial.

With ongoing training, we are providing our radio partners with support to create editorial policies and in many cases, equipment to help them sustain their operations to provide trusted information and space for dialogue in this young nation.

Nile FM, South Sudan

About Life in Lulu

Life in Lulu is a peace and conflict resolution project aimed at promoting peaceful co-existence, tolerance, and stability among the people of South Sudan, through radio dramas and community mobilisation. Our radio drama explores the day-to-day lives of the inhabitants of Lulu village, an imaginary rural location in South Sudan.

The project also builds the capacity of our radio station partners, so that they are better able to sustain their operations, bring trusted information to their audiences and create space for dialogue.

The civic education, peace engagement and capacity building project is co-funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

Off the beaten track in South Sudan: taking action to support women's rights

2021-12-06T17:00:40+00:00

Mama Lia, far left, is shown with her family at her home in Joppa, South Sudan. Credit: �鶹Լ�� Media Action

As our Land Cruiser leaves the tarmac at Gudele, on the edge of Juba, and takes a right somewhere onto a dirt path, I am reminded there are only about 220km of paved roads in South Sudan, and most of them are here in Juba.

It isn’t really a surprise, then, that after driving just 15 minutes from our office, we find ourselves a world away from the bustling city and heading directly into the bush.

In Joppa, the houses are mostly made of mud bricks, some of cement. They are rectangular in shape and well distanced. Some are fenced for privacy, others protected only by the paths that thousands of feet have etched into the hard soil a few meters away. For someone who, like me, comes from Europe, the scenery is what I always imagined that this part of Africa would look like: sparse green grass, teak and thorny acacia trees and red soil.

As a senior projects manager, I don’t often get to travel to the field to meet the families who listen to our radio programmes. Days like this are a special event and I am looking forward to hearing people’s opinions of our work.

We are about to meet Mama Lia.

Her house is shielded by bamboo sticks, hundreds of them planted firmly into the ground and nailed to each other. The compound is spacious; she has set up some blue plastic chairs for us at the back of the house, next to a patch where she is cultivating local vegetables.

The entrance to Mama Lia's home in Joppa, South Sudan. Credit: �鶹Լ�� Media Action.

Mama strikes me as a no-nonsense woman. She tells us that yes, she has been listening to Let’s Talk About Us - our radio programme that explores relationships between couples, the role of men and women in the community and family, and the drivers of women’s confidence and motivation around sexual and reproductive health.

Mama Lia recognizes the voice of our Arabic producer. “I know your voice from the radio,” she smiles. “The episode you did on the sex of the child had a big impact on me and my daughter.

'Women are blamed for giving birth to girls'

We relax into our chairs ready to listen as Mama Lia recounts her experience. She is 56 years old, she tells us, a widow with four sons and four daughters, all of them married. She tells us that her daughter Jakeline had been suffering a lot of abuse at the hands of her husband, the reason being that she was only giving birth to baby girls.

“There is a preference for baby boys in South Sudan, you see, and women are blamed for giving birth to girls.”

Over time, the situation became so bad that Jakeline decided to return to her mother’s house.

“Her husband announced he was going to marry another woman so my daughter came back to me with their three girls,” her mother sighs at the memory. “I didn’t know any better then, so I took them back.”

Sometime later, a volunteer from Active Youth Agency - our local partner organisation - brought Mama Lia a radio with some of the Let’s Talk About Us episodes loaded onto it. She listened to all of them and tells us that the one about the sex of the baby really struck a chord.

Mama Lia outside her home in Juba, with the radio she uses to listen to 'Let's Talk About Us'

After listening once, she called her daughter Jakeline so they could listen together and discuss it. They couldn’t believe their ears.

“The doctor on the programme was explaining that it is the sperm of the man that determines the sex of the baby. It is not the woman.”

Mama Lia says she felt vindicated. She even went to the local chief to tell him her discovery and to ask that he help families facing the same issue. “We have always accepted that it is the woman who is responsible for giving birth to too many girls or boys and this has caused a lot of suffering.”

She convinced her daughter Jakeline to take the radio to her husband and listen with him to the episode. “After he heard the information, he apologised to me and he accepted that he should take her and the girls back.”

Mama Lia can’t stress enough how useful that information has been for her. “If I had known this before, I would have confronted my son-in-law early on and spared all of us a lot of suffering.”

Amplifying women’s voices

Women and girls in South Sudan face some of the worst sexual and reproductive health and rights prospects in the world: a maternal mortality ratio of 789 per 100,000 births, contraceptive prevalence rate of 4 per cent and 31 per cent of women bearing children before the age of 20.

A 2019 survey reported that sexual and gender-based violence goes unquestioned by many girls and women in South Sudan, with over half of those interviewed believing that rape cannot take place in marriage, and almost 50% disagreeing that a wife can ask her husband to wear a condom.

A family listening group in Tonj, South Sudan, gathers around to listen to Let's Talk About Us on a pre-loaded, solar-powered radio. Credit: �鶹Լ�� Media Action

These challenges are closely linked to low literacy rates and the audience’s needs for trusted information, and we know this requires long-term intervention. Radio is the most accessed and trusted mass media in South Sudan, and content that can challenge a strong patriarchal culture can contribute to increasing the agency of women and girls in decision- making.

The chain of events set in motion by Mama Lia against the social norms and challenges outlined was inspired by our radio programming and confirms that our content is moving in the right direction: helping create change for women and girls.

Access to trusted and accurate information empowered Mama Lia to take action, challenge harmful norms and lobby others, both men and women, to support women’s rights.

About our work in South Sudan

Since 2020, we have reached over 1.9 million listeners with radios broadcasts of Let’s Talk About Us – roughly 17% of the total population - and engaged 2,765 families in listening groups, or about 23,903 individuals.

Both through radio and in our outreach work, we are managing to reach a mixed gender listenership, of 56% female and 44% male.

This is a crucial achievement, as men’s support is also needed in increasing women’s and girls’ agency and decision-making power.

A midline survey of our listeners also told us that 67% of Let’s Talk About Us listeners are more likely than non-listeners to agree that “a girl/young woman has the right to decide if she wants to use contraceptive methods to avoid pregnancy,” and to agree with other statements about women and girls’ right to choose when to get married, including women and girls with disabilities.

With the help of our programme, Mama Lia has taken brave new steps to etch new paths in her neighbourhood. Our community outreach will ensure others follow in her footsteps.

Let’s Talk About Us is funded by Global Affairs Canada.

Period talk in South Sudan: community volunteers inspire change for women and girls

2021-05-26T15:18:42+00:00

It was a turbulent 30-minute flight from Juba to Torit, in a small plane. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery from my window seat, green hills, valleys, groups of thatched huts, roads and lanes, before we landed on the rough gravel airstrip, which is dusty during the dry season and very muddy during the rainy season.

I had travelled to Torit for training as part of our sexual and reproductive health and rights project. We run community mobilisation in partnership with civil society organisations by training supervisors and volunteers to implement activities at the grassroots level. Through our listening groups, families and communities come together to listen to our radio programme, Let’s Talk About Us, have discussions and find solutions to address issues they identify.

The factual 15-minute radio programme aims to dispel common misconceptions about sexual and reproductive health, to tell people’s stories – both positive and negative - and feature health experts. The topics talk about men and women, their relationships, their bodies, and their health, addressing harmful norms and misinformation on family planning, sexually transmitted infections and menstrual hygiene; power dynamics among couples, especially about who makes decisions, and gender-based violence.

My job is to support and train volunteers and supervisors who implement our community mobilisation outreach activities. I have been doing it for nearly three years and have had the chance to travel to various locations across the country. I have learned a lot through this job. For example, before listening to this program, I assumed that when a girl starts to menstruate, she is ready to conceive and to give birth, regardless of her age. I did not know that her body is not fully developed, and she could be at risk of complications during delivery.
In some communities in South Sudan, when daughters start to menstruate, they are immediately prepared for marriage. I also used to believe that it is the woman’s eggs that determine the sex of the child, and that when a woman gets married, if children are not conceived, it is all her fault. Listening to experts and life stories on the radio programme has changed my thinking for the better. Now I feel free and empowered to share what I have learnt with others, so that they can also make informed decisions.

On my visit to Torit, I was overwhelmed to meet Eunice, a volunteer in her 40s, who was very enthusiastic to learn, and energetic in actively leading and participating in the discussions. The team seemed equally surprised and pleased to meet me, and not someone from the UK, which I think they may have expected. Eunice quickly had the community group engaging with and responding to her. In her work, she distributes radios to families and follows up with them to ensure they have listened to Let’s talk about us episodes. She interacts with these families twice a week, and collects feedback for the research team’s data analysis, to help improve and develop the project.

A community discussion in Wau, South Sudan

Eunice introduced me to Patricia, a 37-year-old single mother, who is a regular listener to the programme. Patricia told me about the challenges she went through in her marriage and living with a physical impairment.

“We lived a happy life at the beginning, but it was very short. The relatives of my husband blamed him for marrying a lame woman. They considered their brother to have brought a curse in their family,” Patricia said. “They kept blaming him for marrying me until one day, in 2008, my husband told me that he was going for further studies. Then he went for good in 2020. He went back to his wife in Wau.”

Patricia’s resilience amazed me. Saying “disability is not inability,” she described her work with the South Sudan Ministry of Education in Eastern Equatoria, how she is studying for a degree in human resource management, and how she earns extra income through small business to support her two children – a boy and a girl - to go to school.

Patricia told me her favorite episode of Let’s talk about us was about puberty and body changes in young boys and girls. The episode featured a lady who was surprised when she first saw menstrual blood and didn’t know what it was. She thought that maybe she got pierced by a nail in her buttocks. Patricia says she doesn’t want her daughter to be surprised when she sees period blood in her panties one day. She already understood the need to talk to her children about bodily changes, but she said she did not realise that talking to them about this at an early age - before the changes starts to occur – was advised.

After listening to the programme, she spoke to her children, and she told us her daughter responded and said that a female senior teacher had been talking to them at school, too. She already knew that big girls at school were always given pads.

I related to Patricia’s story because of my own personal experience when I was growing up. My mother never shared any information with me about bodily changes, or even what to expect at a certain age. The day I saw my period had begun, I was very confused and could not approach my mother, because I had never heard that ladies menstruate. It is considered taboo for mothers to discuss menstruation with their daughters. Instead, I spoke with a friend who was older than me, and who had already started her period. She guided me on what to use and how to keep clean, including changing sanitary pads three times a day or even four times, depending on the flow of blood.

After feeling more knowledgeable about talking to her children, Patricia expressed interest in hearing more episodes and said she decided to take the radio to her workplace, so that her colleagues can listen too, and be empowered to make their own decisions about sexual and reproductive health and their rights, after learning the facts from experts and hearing real people’s stories.

I’m happy Let’s talk about us is shining a light on the issues that women and girls face in South Sudan, and it is good to see how it is inspiring change. There is much still to do, and many taboo topics to address. For instance, many husbands will send their wives back to their families if they give birth to too many daughters – but not if they have many sons. Newly created episodes are helping spark discussions around the sex of babies, and through the programme, listeners are informed of how babies are conceived and how the sex is determined.

Looking ahead, our community mobilisation activities around Let’s talk about us will go beyond providing knowledge about sexual and reproductive health and rights. We plan to broaden our focus to changing attitudes and perceptions about how women, girls and people living with disability can freely access services and build themselves a brighter future.

The radio programme Let’s talk about us forms part of our project, Amplifying Women’s Voices, which is supported by Global Affairs Canada. Find out more about our work in South Sudan here.

With Her: breaking barriers to education for girls in South Sudan

2018-10-11T09:41:26+00:00

On International Day of the Girl, find out how a radio programme helped a schoolgirl in South Sudan avoid early marriage and return to school by changing the attitude of her grandfather.

The ongoing conflict in South Sudan has increased dangers for girls attending school in recent years and social norms play a significant role in the prevalence for boys over girls to attend (and remain) in education. Girls are usually expected to be responsible for the household chores, which affects their time for studying when they are at school, and early marriage is commonplace.

Mary was 16 when she dropped out of school to get married.

Mary’s grandfather, Giban Koka, is 80 years old, an elder and chief of his community. After listening to radio programme Our School in a group in Kenyangoyo village, South Sudan, Giban took action to stop his granddaughter’s planned early marriage and put her back in school.

"Girls do drop out from schools for earlier marriage, but after I listened to the good advice from the radio and listener club meetings, I am now trying my best to educate our girls," he said.

Giban told us the programme inspired him to make sure all the girls in his community go to school - equally with boys - and are protected whilst they are there. And his granddaughter became a role model in the community, demonstrating that girls can go back to school and succeed.

South Sudan has the highest levels of out of school children in the world, with around 2.4 million children missing out on an education. Traditional attitudes in the country mean that girls are more likely than boys to not receive an education – and in some parts of the country over 75% of primary aged girls are not in school.

For the last six years, �鶹Լ�� Media Action has produced Our School, a 15-minute magazine-style radio programme targeted at girls, their parents, community leaders and teachers. The programme aims to build awareness about the many barriers that girls face in achieving a proper education and encourage change. Our School episodes aired on radio and I’ve visited and set up events and listener clubs for the programme in villages – like the one Giban attended - across the country.

Influencing the influencers

Despite the ongoing challenges with conflict in South Sudan, our survey of adults across the country showed that Our School is having a strong, positive impact on girls’ education. The programme reached nearly a third of the adult population (31%) – an estimated 1.8 million people. Advanced data analysis showed that audiences were more knowledgeable about the education system; discussed education more with friends, family and community members; and took a more active interest in their child’s education by, for instance, talking to them about the importance of education and helping them with their homework.

Although more than 1.5 million people left South Sudan to flee violence and seek refuge in neighbouring countries between July 2016 and August 2018, Our School has a loyal and engaged audience, with 93% of listeners tuning into every other episode in 2018.

However, deep-seated attitudes around prioritising boys’ education over girls’ in times of economic hardship remain, with 42% of respondents agreeing that ‘if there is a limited amount of money it should be spent on boys first’.

“Previously, our people used not to send their daughters to school, they only send boys, but when I started attending the listening club meetings with the community, I learnt that I have to send all the children to school equally.” said Giban.

Mary and her grandfather are exactly the type of people we wanted to reach through the Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) project and highlight why it’s so important to use media to engage in dialogue with community groups. I’m pleased that Our School and our community mobilisation efforts have improved household and community awareness and helped increase support for girls.

Reaching millions, transforming lives

We know that radio has great power to help us reach girls like Mary – and the millions like her – who are struggling to receive an education. When combined with community mobilisation efforts, media and communication can help change deeply entrenched attitudes of parents and communities which hold girls back – just like we’ve seen with Mary’s grandfather.

Now 17 years-old, Mary says "I am hoping to finish my secondary education. If I pass well, I would like to go to university. I am hoping to become a teacher in future so that I will be able to teach other children."

Girls are our future leaders and participate in building our nation. Today, on International Day of the Girl, I’m pleased that the Girls’ Education South Sudan project continues to stand with, and support, role models such as Mary – empowering girls across the country and helping them build a better future.

As Mary adds, "If I stay here with my grandfather, nothing will stop me in meeting my hopes."

--
Samuel Komakech
Community Mobilisation Manager
�鶹Լ�� Media Action in South Sudan

Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) is a DFID-funded programme that aims to transform the lives of a generation of children in South Sudan – especially girls – through education. For more information see here or read our research about the project.

Rehabilitation radio: how drama is helping change attitudes in South Sudan

2018-06-01T09:48:36+00:00

Our radio drama Life in Lulu which depicts the lives and trials of people living in a small village in South Sudan and its regular listeners include inmates at Tonj prison. Henning Goransson Sandberg, our Research Manager, talks about his visit there to understand what they took from the programme.

The prison sits on a main road, overlooking the river that flows past the city of Tonj, in central South Sudan. The doors are open to the street, and the only guard at the entrance takes a cursory look through my bag as I walk past his desk on my way in. The courtyard, where most of the prisoners spend the day looking after cows, farming or cooking food, is patrolled by guards and surrounded by a low wall.

I meet the prison director who shows us around and tells me why the prisoners are there; their crimes range from fraud, shoplifting and petty theft to rape, assault and murder. The most serious offenders have their feet chained together, he tells me.

I am here to speak to inmates who have taken part in radio listening clubs facilitated by presenters from Döör FM, the local radio station. They have been discussing Life in Lulu, �鶹Լ�� Media Action’s radio drama about the residents of a small village. The drama, now in its fifth season, is broadcast across South Sudan and explores a number of issues including non-violent ways to resolve conflict.

Döör FM, which means “Peace” in the Dinka language, is a private radio station broadcasting mainly religious, education and public information programmes in the local dialect. The station started the listening clubs around a year ago and has since staged discussions about forgiveness, peaceful conflict resolution, the dangers of weapons in civilian hands and the dangers posed by mines and other explosives. By showing its characters making poor decisions when they are angry or drunk, Life in Lulu highlights the dangers of owning and using weapons.

Most prisoners had not heard the programme before starting their sentences, mainly because they had no access to a radio. But for the past six months they had listened weekly and discussed the show when the Döör FM presenters came to visit. The storylines seemed to resonate with them.

Achol has served two years of an indeterminate sentence for a gun-related crime. "All the problems that exist in this community occur because of guns," he said. "If you don’t have gun according to the perception we have here is that you are not a man and you don’t deserve the respect that men in the society enjoy."

He is passionate when he speaks of Life in Lulu and what he has learned. He told me that since his arrest, he had changed his mind about gun ownership. "I came to realise that guns should not be handled by civilians," even claiming, "After I’m released I will never touch any gun again … I will tell people about what I have learnt about guns in the prison and I will advise them to surrender their guns to the government so that we can remain as civilians."

Our research has shown that Life in Lulu has been successful in targeting beliefs and norms around weapons, in particular the belief that they symbolise masculinity and command respect.

Discussing the programme with others is important – as it increases the influence of the programme beyond its immediate listeners.

Talking to the prisoners I was struck by how closely the stories in Life in Lulu resembled their experiences. Deng, another prisoner, spoke about the storyline related to a revenge attack after a cattle raid in Lulu in which one person in the neighbouring community was killed:

"If they were to follow the legal procedure I think they wouldn’t have killed that person just because of one cow," he said. "The government would have apprehended him and put him in prison and the problem would have been resolved amicably. That is why I am in the prison here now, because I failed to follow the legal way of demanding my right, rather than commit a revenge attack."

Deng later told us he thinks the programme has influenced how he handles conflict, "I have totally changed from the way I used to do my thing in the past, after listening to Life in Lulu. Now if I have a problem then I will sit with people and negotiate until we reach a peaceful resolution."

The prisoner’s testimony was gathered as part of a research study and all names have been changed.

Life in Lulu is currently starting its fifth season. The programme is broadcast nationwide in South Sudan in three different languages, Juba Arabic, Dinka and Nuer. The programme is funded by the Norwegian Embassy in South Sudan.

Shining a light on girl's education in South Sudan

2018-01-15T11:20:35+00:00

Agol Deng Tong dreams of going to university and setting up her own business, but living in rural South Sudan - with no electricity - made studying in the evening difficult. But Agol was determined this wouldn’t stop her passing her exams. Radio programme ‘Our School’ shared her innovative solution to show how girls are tackling barriers to education across the country – and to inspire others to do the same.

"Anything a man can do, you can do as a girl if you’re educated. Never think marriage is the only answer, I ensure that I am in school because I know that later I’ll be better off," says 21-year-old Agol Deng Tong.

But every day, girls like Agol face challenges which impede their schooling, and their future. Dangers of travelling to school in the dark, affording school fees, traditions of prioritising sons’ education over daughters, or displacement through conflict are some of the many complex barriers to education.

Living in Aweil – a rural area where there’s no public electricity - Agol’s family struggled to provide even a torch light to help her do her homework.

But often difficult situations can inspire innovative solutions – and Agol proved it.

The light bulb moment

Agol decided to make the journey to the nearest hospital to study in the evening because it was one of the few buildings in the area with an electricity supply. "On the first day I just went, sat and started reading and when they asked why I was there, I explicitly told them that I don’t have light for reading and the staff looked into it and they allowed me in most of the time to read when I wanted", she says.

South Sudan has some of the lowest education indicators globally. Girls, in particular, struggle to achieve educational milestones, with very few of those who complete primary school continuing onto secondary education. In 2016, 128,000 girls started primary education, but only 2,700 completed secondary.

In many rural communities there are traditional expectations that girls should take care of chores in the home rather than go to school.

But Agol says she balanced her home chores with revision: "I made a timetable, coming from school at 2:00 PM then I go fetch water and other things and after that I go to read at 5:00 PM after ensuring that I have done the home chores. And if darkness approaches then I go to where I get light to continue studying and reading."

And it paid off, Agol achieved a score of 70% in her final exams - a result most South Sudanese girls find hard to attain in the face of issues both at home and school.

Empowering girls

Radio programme ‘Our School’ shared Agol’s story to show why girls’ need support to tackle the barriers they face to education and inspire other girls to find creative ways to continue their studies.

Agol discussing the challenges girls face on ‘Our School’ with other students in Aweil, South Sudan

Agol’s story featured alongside those of many other girls in South Sudan. For 15-year-old Easter, going to school in the dark was dangerous. Waiting until daylight meant she was missing classes.

By means of interviews with girls, their families and teachers, 'Our School' shows how these kinds of factors can affect a girl’s education. At the same time, through positive role models, the programme shows girls how they can succeed.

After listening to the radio show, Easter's mother started walking her daughter to school.

Making a difference

Our research shows that listeners of the programme are significantly more likely to say their daughter is going to school, compared to non-listeners. And, nearly half of our audience said they had asked questions at their local schools after listening to the show. Those who tune in say they more frequently discuss education with their daughters or girls in their family too.

Many issues remain, but as Agol’s story suggests, girls in South Sudan are in a class of their own.

As she says: "I had challenges but I overcame those bit by bit until I sat for my exams and passed."

More power to you Agol.

--
Kenyi Betuel is Editor for �鶹Լ�� Media Action project ‘Our School’ – a girl’s education programme in South Sudan funded by DFID through the Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) project. The programme is produced by a team of local producers and broadcasts in nine languages.

‘Whenever I saw children in school I used to cry…now I’m in school, I’m happy.’

2017-03-06T12:25:19+00:00

Stella wanted to go to school but her father thought it would ‘spoil’ her chances of marriage. Kenyi Betuel – editor of a girls’ education radio show – explores some of the cultural barriers facing girls who want an education in South Sudan.

“My father only sent one of my elder sisters to school. He told me that the rest of us had to remain in the village,” says Stella, sadly wringing her hands.

“Whenever I saw children in school I used to cry,” she adds. “But now I’m in school, I’m happy.”

Standing tall outside her classroom Stella, a sparky 15-year-old girl from Toposa in the east of South Sudan, is being interviewed for the radio show Our School. Producer Tina Losike is asking people why many communities see school as a dangerous place for girls.
In Stella’s case, her father was worried education might ‘spoil’ his daughters, making them unsuitable for marriage. This would mean him missing out on the cattle traditionally given as a dowry to the family of a bride in South Sudan.

This fear led him to educate only one of his daughters and keep the others – including Stella - at home to prepare for their future as wives.

Producer, Tina Losike interviews Stella outside her school in Toposa, South Sudan

�鶹Լ��work vs housework

Stella’s story is a common one. Many people in South Sudan believe a girl should be doing housework, not homework. Whole communities of girls are prevented from getting an education for fear that they will lose respect for time-old traditions that place women firmly in the home.

Stella had wanted to sneak into school with the boys from her village but the prospect was daunting, “We didn’t know people in town and were scared that we’d get lost on the way,” she says.

Her father finally relented once convinced of the future economic benefits of educating his daughters.

“My father only gave my sisters and I permission to go to school when he realised the benefits school had on my brother,” she says.

“My brother… has bought many cows for my father…paying for him to travel between the village and town by car whenever he wants.”

Like Stella’s father, Lopeyok a father and community elder changed his mind about school being a ‘dangerous place’ for girls.

“Now I have realised that the school is good for girls, I am ready to pay for my daughter’s school fees” he tells Tina. “If they ask me anything for school I have cows that I will sell for my children to study.”

I want to be a doctor

Despite starting school relatively late, Stella is working hard to achieve her dreams.

“It won’t take me long to finish my school” she says defiantly. “I want to be a doctor to serve…my community.” She’s aware of how different things could have been: “If I had remained in the village up until now, I would already be married, have many children – and be working on the land.”

I hope her story is an inspiration for all our listeners - girls, parents and community leaders. The more that fathers realise that educating their daughters is beneficial for their family, community and country, the more that girls will realise their potential.

Our School – funded by DFID through the Girls’ Education South Sudan (GESS) project – is produced by a team of local producers and broadcasts in nine languages.

�鶹Լ�� Media Action isn't funded by the �鶹Լ��’s licence fee and depends on the generous support of donors. Help support our work.

Related links

Read more about Our School
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Go back to the �鶹Լ�� Media Action website

Prevention is better than cure

2017-02-01T09:00:00+00:00

How local and national radio is supporting work to prevent cholera in South Sudan.

“I didn’t know it was cholera until a health professional at my local clinic told me” said Mary Jabe, a mother of three. “When he instructed me to take my children to hospital in Juba for treatment, I started to cry, because their condition was critical, and I didn’t have any money to get there.”

Mary lives with her family in a one-room hut, containing a single bed in Hai Kugi, a settlement on the outskirts of Juba, South Sudan. Outside, a dusty chair rests under the shadow of a small tree – and a short distance away, lie fragments of dried faeces, bleached white by the sun. Without a latrine – or a clean water source nearby, the homestead appeared to be an ideal environment for the spread of cholera – an infection causing severe diarrhoea, dehydration, and death if left untreated.

Luckily, a kind-hearted stranger lent Mary the money to travel to Juba where her children were able to receive treatment. Mary remembers rushing into Juba Teaching Hospital and doctors and nurses taking her children away in a flurry of medication and drips. “Thank God, I was able to see my children’s eyes again” she tells me, holding her youngest daughter tightly in her arms.

I’d been visiting Mary to interview her for Our Tukul, a national and local radio programme helping improve the health of mothers and their families. Mary’s story will be familiar to many people in South Sudan, a country which has seen 1,484 cholera cases and 25 deaths since an outbreak in August 2016. The situation has been exacerbated by ongoing conflict – forcing many to flee their homes into crowded temporary camps.

Information saves lives

In emergencies like this – information can save lives. Keen to combat cholera, my team produced a number of episodes of our radio programme Our Tukul, to help people identify the condition, treat it – and most importantly, prevent it.

In one of the episodes, a public health official, Doctor Makur Matur provides advice about washing hands with soap, drinking clean water, digging latrines, not defecating in open places, and making sure food is thoroughly warmed up before eating. “Cholera prevention is not just a job for the Ministry of Health” he tells listeners. “It’s everyone’s duty.”

Free treatment centres

The show is also raising awareness of free treatment centres in affected areas – and builds on previous work in South Sudan, training up local radio stations to produce simple, catchy public service announcements aimed at preventing cholera.
Since the New Year, I’m thankful that no new cholera cases have been reported. It has been a team effort, with Our Tukul playing a part in making sure this run of good health continues for as long as possible. As the old saying goes, prevention is much better than cure.

�鶹Լ�� Media Action doesn’t receive any funding from the �鶹Լ��’s licence fee and depends on the generous support of donors. Help support our work.

Related links

Find out more about our work in South Sudan
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Go back the �鶹Լ�� Media Action website

Our Girls, Our Future

2016-11-22T08:00:00+00:00

Girls in South Sudan are less likely than boys to start school and more likely to drop out. Our radio producer visited her former school to find out if educational aspiration for girls is improving.

“Where’s my mango tree?” I wondered, as I entered the gates of my former school, welcomed by a gaggle of smiling school girls dressed in smart red and white uniforms

As a young girl, I’d planted a mango tree in a shady area of Juba Girl’s Secondary School. The tree was a symbol of a future ripe with possibilities, where if you nurture something – feed it, water and protect it - then delicious fruits will eventually appear.

On returning I was overwhelmed with happiness. The long, narrow classrooms of the school hold many special memories, not least, as the place where I first learned the art of writing – small steps which would help me launch my career as a journalist.

I’m currently using my journalism skills to produce ‘Our School’, a radio show in which we highlight inspirational stories to convince girls – and their parents – that education matters. Girls are still less likely to start school than their male counterparts in South Sudan, and those who do are more likely to drop out early.

A good girl stays in school

Many parents in South Sudan believe that a ‘good girl’ should stay at home. Poverty and insecurity as well as traditional ideas about the place of girls in society all play their part. I believe the opposite - that for South Sudan to forge a better future - a ‘good girl’ should stay in school.

Passing through the grassy courtyard I once played in as a child, I joined a stage filled with scores of successful women: lawyers, doctors, bankers, engineers, journalists and businesswomen. A sea of eager young faces looked up at us. The careers fair ‘Our Girls, Our Future’, organised by Girls Education South Sudan, was an opportunity to provide young girls with role models – and a chance to quiz us on our achievements.

Atong Ngor, engineer, mentoring girls at GESS Careers Fair. Credit: Girls Education South Sudan

One girl asked me about some of the challenges I faced at school. I told her there were many! The dangerous distraction of boys (to be avoided at all costs!), lack of reliable transport to get me to class in time, low expectations and the constant disruption of war. Unsurprisingly, many of these challenges still hinder girls’ education and limit their aspirations today.

There is hope. The number of girls completing their final year at Juba Girls Secondary School has rocketed since I was there over a decade ago. I’m confident that radio shows like ‘Our School’ and initiatives like the careers fair will help improve this figure even more.

Hah! The tables have turned! Hiba Morgan, Al Jazeera reporter, is interviewed by girls at GESS Careers Fair. Credit: Girls Education South Sudan

Investing in success

After the panel discussion, we broke up into groups for mentoring sessions. “What advice would I have wanted to hear as a 16 year old?” I asked myself.

“To succeed, a girl needs to know why she's in school, I repeat, she needs to know this. School isn’t just about learning new things now, it’s an investment in the future of your family, your community and your country,” I told my group. After the mentoring session, I picked up my recorder and put on my headphones to capture all the inspiring conversations around me, to be broadcast to girls across South Sudan through our national radio partner, Radio Miraya.

“Ah Catherine, I want to be like you”, said a girl, tugging on my t-shirt as I gathered my things to leave. Along with the warm glow of nostalgia from visiting my former school, it felt so good to be one of the women acting as a role model for these girls.

I never did find the mango tree I planted all those years ago. Instead, I found hundreds of little girls, striving to be the best they can be. Just like little trees – the more sustenance they can get (through positive role models and education) – the more fruit they’ll bear and the stronger they’ll grow.

This article was written as part of the �鶹Լ��’s 100 Women season. Join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #100women.

“Gifts and lifts”: one reason girls drop out of school in South Sudan

2016-04-18T10:43:28+00:00

A school girl in Juba being interviewed by a �鶹Լ�� Media Action producer.

In South Sudan, it’s not uncommon for older men to offer girls and young women gifts of transport, mobile phones and cash with the expectation of them starting a sexual relationship in return. This sometimes has disastrous consequences for their education.

Rose, aged 16, was a committed pupil before a relationship with an older man caused her to drop out of school. On her way to school one morning she arrived at the bus station and found there was no transport. She was stuck and didn’t know what to do when a man in his thirties cruised by in his car and offered her lift. Desperate not to be late for her morning lessons, she accepted the lift and jumped into the man’s car.

Rose, now 29, told her story to Florence Michael, a producer of Our School, a radio programme which discusses the importance of girls completing their education in South Sudan.

“On our way, he asked for my name, I introduced myself then he did the same,” Rose said. “Reaching school he asked me if we could meet again.”

Over the next few months, the man continued to give Rose lifts to school. He didn’t stop there. He gave her a whole variety of gifts, including money and a mobile phone. Not long after that, the man asked for something else.

He asked Rose to be his girlfriend. A few months later she was pregnant.

“After I conceived I couldn’t go to school,” Rose said. “The man had a wife; he only came to spoil me then went back to his wife. Up to now, I couldn’t get back to school and there’s no one helping me with my child.”

Rose isn’t the only one. Monica from Lakes State, Mimi from Juba and Esther from Maridi in Western Equatoria State told our producers they left school after developing relationships with older men. They all say it started with gifts.

Many people in South Sudan are poor and public transport is often unreliable. School teachers and parents we interviewed believe some men take advantage of this situation to seduce schoolgirls into relationships.

Gifts from strangers

Atong, a female teacher in Mingkaman, Lakes State, said she is aware this goes on and they are doing their best to alleviate the situation.

“During lessons, we tell girls to protect themselves by rejecting any gifts from strangers”, Atong told Abraham Machuor, another Our School producer.

Wilson, a parent, entered into the debate, saying it’s not enough to tell girls not to accept gifts. “You have to give her a budget,” he said. “For example, money for transport, to and from school, money for breakfast…and she’ll be free and not think about what others can give her.”

Many of the girls we interviewed – from a number of states – said they believed the benefits of education outweighed the attraction of gifts that come with strings attached.

“If somebody gave me something, I would concentrate on that person and forget my education, that’s why I reject gifts,” said one girl, “Even if I am poor, I have to continue with my education until I finish and be rich like that person.”

It’s satisfying to know our radio programmes are giving people a platform to talk frankly about such a sensitive issue as well as discussing ways to overcome it.

Related links

Our work in South Sudan
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Go back to the �鶹Լ�� Media Action website

Making Waves in South Sudan: Winnie

2016-03-03T09:24:36+00:00

For International Women’s Day 2016, Winnie our script writer in South Sudan blogs about her experience in hearing how a radio drama she’s writing is helping address conflict in local communities.

I am one of the drama writers for the radio show Life in Lulu. I believe that the drama has taught the women of South Sudan to speak out and stand up for themselves in their families and in society at large. Women are now participating in solving problems peacefully.

I think it’s very important for women like me to be working in media organisations. We can be role models for women who are without a voice and don’t know who to approach when they want their views to be heard - about education for girls, stopping early marriage, and advocating for women’s rights at all levels of society.

I have had a lot of moments that make me proud to be working here, like when we received a message from one of the listeners from Torit, a town in Eastern Equatoria state. He said that he learned that women can contribute good ideas when it comes to resolving conflict in the community and that was something new for him.

It shows that the scenarios we dramatise in the show are bringing about changes.

I must also say I am so pleased when I see women gathering here in the real marketplace to listen to the programme go on air. This makes me feel like we are truly on people’s minds when they think how they can live together in peace and harmony. I am so excited about that.

Read more inspiring stories of how women are using media to make waves.

Making Waves in Nepal: Bidhya’s story
Making Waves in Somalia: Yasmin's story
Making Waves in Tanzania: Meena’s story
Making Waves in Sierra Leone: Olabisi's story
Making Waves in Cambodia: YoKi’s story
Making Waves in Kenya: Stellah's story
Making Waves in Libya: Libya's story

"I want to go to university to become a doctor"

2015-10-09T13:29:53+00:00

The theme for this year's International Day of the Girl Child is the power of the adolescent girl and the vision for this generation of girls in 2030. As the day approaches, Apune Jacob Alfred reflects on the research he and colleagues at �鶹Լ�� Media Action have undertaken as part of the Girls’ Education programme in South Sudan.

"[I want to go to university] so that I can become a doctor and drive my own car.”
Adolescent girl, Ngomba, western South Sudan

This was just one ambition we heard earlier this year when we conducted interviews with teenage girls for �鶹Լ�� Media Action's Our School project, part of the DFID-funded Girls’ Education programme in South Sudan. In total, we spoke to 13 girls aged 13 to 18. Having a daughter myself, it was wonderful to hear about how interested these teenagers were to become doctors or engineers and become equal to any man in South Sudan.

We were working in Wau, Western Bahr El Ghazal, in the west of South Sudan on what’s called a longitudinal qualitative study which involves us speaking to girls, their families, teachers and key influencers in their community over a four-year period.

As the quote suggests, a key finding from our research is that this generation of women have big ambitions and hopes for their futures. However, in 2013, only 32% of those enrolled in secondary school were girls. Many of the girls in our study, despite being teenagers, were either not in school or were still in the lower grades of primary school.

What causes this gulf between ambition and reality?

Our study aims to understand better the drivers and barriers that influence girls’ opportunities in relation to education and, consequently, what they are able to choose to do in their lives.

Many of the adolescent girls we spoke to talked about a number of issues affecting their ability to go and stay in school. They told us about the pressure of domestic responsibilities, the expense of education – not only school fees, but also the price of uniforms, books and pens. Parents and others in the community also mentioned the harassment girls sometimes face from boys and men inside and outside of school.

“Life has been hard. Had it not been because of money problems, I would have got registered in school. So… these are the things that pain me.” Adolescent girl, Kayango, western South Sudan

Informing programmes

The findings from our research directly feed into Our School, a 15-minute factual radio programme that includes real-life stories of girls, their families and schools to highlight the benefits of girls staying in school.

Recent episodes of the programme have directly tackled some of the main challenges the girls told us about.

For example, the show has focused on how to grow and manage income and expenditure in the household to help budget for school fees, how to split household chores among girls and boys equally and how girls can deal with boys inside and outside of the classroom.

Next year we will be returning to the same girls, families and teachers to see if and how their situations have changed – and what has contributed to these changes. I’m very much looking forward to going back and meeting the girls again so I can see for myself how they have progressed in their ambitions, and if and how the Our School programme is helping them.

Read the UNICEF news report on South Sudan Girls’ Education Strategy 2015-2017

Follow �鶹Լ�� Media Action on Twitter and Facebook

Go back to the �鶹Լ�� Media Action website

The fictional village of Lulu, promoting peace in South Sudan

2015-09-18T08:00:00+00:00

For International Day of Peace (21 September), our script writer in South Sudan blogs about her experience in Juba when the civil war first started and how a radio drama she’s writing is helping address conflict in local communities.

After 20 months of conflict, president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Myardit, and rebel leader, Dr Riek Machar Teny sat down last month (26 August 2015) to sign a peace deal.

For many of us here in South Sudan, we cautiously hope that this deal will signal an end to the fighting that has ravaged our country and bring back peace and hope to our young nation.

Unsafe overnight

As the conflict first broke out in December 2013, I was working in Juba as a �鶹Լ�� Media Action script writer. What was believed to have started as a fight between soldiers in army barracks soon developed into a fully-fledged conflict marked along ethnic and tribal lines. Juba became unsafe overnight.

As the days went on, markets closed, food and water became scarce and I saw neighbouring houses looted. While the situation in Juba has become less tense since then, the conflict has continued without reprieve across South Sudan– forcing almost 2.2 million people from their homes.

We responded to the crisis through Life in Lulu, a 15-minute radio drama set in a fictional village. Normally focused on health, the drama was adapted to show listeners how everyday conflict – such as domestic violence, disagreements over the use of plots of land for crops, and care for communal areas – can be prevented, contained or resolved.

For many of us here in South Sudan talking about conflict is difficult. The use of drama helps us deal with these sensitive topics. As one research participant, living in a UN camp, reflected, "The drama directly relates to what I’m going through. When I'm outside playing dominoes with my friends, they tend to call me an IDP (internally displaced person) which I don’t like because sometimes I end up fighting them. I wish we could all accept one another even if we don’t belong to the same tribe or community."

When writing for Life in Lulu, I reflect on these insights and weave them into the storylines.

Different perspectives

One recent storyline focuses on the stealing of farm land by internally displaced persons in a host community. The resulting conflict sees the host community trying to evict the displaced persons from Lulu.

In the drama, we show perspectives from all sides and explore the compromises everyone has to make to keep living together peacefully.

Exploring non-violent ways to resolve conflict through drama has resonated with our audiences, who’ve sent in appreciative text messages. As a woman from Gudelle wrote in, "This drama is really important in South Sudan. It focuses on real issues in the community."

Spurred on by this positive feedback, we're now writing the final batch of episodes for this season's Life in Lulu.

In light of the recent peace deal, we hope conflict will soon end for the country. On a more local level, we also hope the dramatisation of conflict in Life in Lulu will help people create peace in their own lives and in their communities.

Related links:

Find out more about Life in Lulu

Go back to the �鶹Լ�� Media Action website

A girl without education is like a bird without wings

2015-08-12T11:00:00+00:00

AIC Nursery and Primary School celebrating South Sudan’s National Girls’ Education Day

In a country where only one in ten girls complete primary education, Trish Doherty looks at how a �鶹Լ�� Media Action radio programme is helping more girls stay in school in South Sudan.

“A girl without education is like a bird without wings”

So read the banner held by pupils of AIC Nursery and Primary School as they marched onto the pitch set aside for the celebrations of South Sudan’s National Girls’ Education Day. Held at Gudele East Primary School, the event was both a celebration of girls’ education and the launch of the first ever South Sudan Girls’ Education Strategy.

In a country where only one in ten girls complete primary education and even fewer a secondary education, the strategy’s emphasis on girls’ education is paramount.

Launched by the government with support from UNICEF and key education organisations, the strategy aims to remove barriers that prevent girls in South Sudan from going to and staying in school and includes plans to promote girls’ education, make education affordable and provide a gender sensitive curriculum.

Transforming lives through education

Watching the children of primary schools from across the area perform songs, dances and dramas about the challenges they face in going to and staying in school, and the pride they have in their own education, I reflected on the changes that �鶹Լ�� Media Action’s Our School radio programme is making to lives of people across South Sudan. Our School is a 15 minute factual radio programme that includes real life stories of girls, their families and schools to highlight the benefits of girls staying in education. The show forms part of the Girls Education South Sudan project, which seeks to transform the lives of a generation of children – especially girls – through education.

In 2014, within four months of its first broadcast, Our School reached an estimated 946,000 people aged 15+ in South Sudan. Since then we have seen real stories of change among listeners. For example, 19 year old William Okeny from Juba, who, after hearing the Our School programme, said he changed his attitude towards the division of household chores:

“One time I tune on my radio it was Our School programme and the topic was supporting girls at home… it was really touches me [and] encourages me to come up with a choice of helping my sisters at home with everything like cooking, sweeping [and] mopping.”

William talks about how 'Our School' inspired him to help his sister around the house, to help her concentrate on her school work.

Or 19 year old Teresa Mading from Kuajock, who, at 15, dropped out of school when she got married and had a family. Listening to Our School programme some years after the birth of her first child, Teresa was inspired to return to school.

“I first talked to my husband [and told him] that I had listened to the one of young mothers like me explaining over [the] radio that she had taken courage and returned to school while having young children like me.”

As pupils at the National Girls’ Education Day celebrations performed a drama on the importance of girls staying in school for themselves and their families, I noted how similar their fictional storylines were to William and Teresa’s real-life stories, and how much of a difference education will make for future generations.

Related links:

Visit the Girls Education South Sudan (GESS) project website
Read the UNICEF news report on South Sudan Girls’ Education Strategy 2015-2017
Read more about �鶹Լ�� Media Action's work in South Sudan
Follow �鶹Լ�� Media Action on Twitter and Facebook
Go back to the �鶹Լ�� Media Action website

Investing in girls' education in South Sudan

2014-09-29T13:18:15+00:00

For Boldit Deng, an unemployed father of five in South Sudan’s Warrap State, the news that his daughter was about to receive 125 South Sudanese Pounds (£25) meant only one thing: he could buy more goats.

But his daughter Rose, 18, had other ideas. She planned to spend the money on her education.

“I want to use this cash to buy a school uniform, as you can see the one I am now wearing is very old,” she told �鶹Լ�� Media Action’s Our School radio programme, “I also want to buy some exercise books for mathematics, English and chemistry, pens, rubbers and a ruler.”

Once Rose explained to her father that the money was actually intended to help girls like her with their school expenses, he was thrilled to hear there was such support for his daughter’s education.

“(This) is very good for me as a parent. It is my first time to see money being given to girls instead of asking us as parents to pay,” Boldit told Our School producer Atem Deng Malek, adding that there could be ongoing benefits for his daughter. “I understand from her that she may get another cash transfer if I send her back to school next year.”

Incentive to stay

Starting this year all school girls in primary five grade (usually anywhere between 15-18 years of age) and upwards will receive a payment of 125 SSP (£25) each year. As long as they attend school. The aim is to increase girls’ attendance and retention in school by helping them - or their families - with some of their yearly expenses.

19-year-old Christine is interviewed for Our School in Juba, South Sudan

South Sudan has one of the lowest rates of girls attending school in the world. Years of war meant many children of both sexes missed out on years of school. On top of this, education for girls has not been seen as a priority. Early forced marriages, early pregnancies, and poverty have all affected the number of girls going to school.

The challenge of encouraging girls to stay in school is one that head teacher Joseph Kiju Abraham understands only too well. At the busy Juba Day Secondary School, he told our producer Florence Michael “the number of girls in schools is very small compared to boys. So this money is given to encourage girls go to schools so that the population can increase.”

Angelina, a parent of a 15-year-old school girl in Western Equatoria State, says the cash transfers will help her family’s finances.

“It (cash transfer) will help me carry my burden of thinking about getting money for my daughter’s school needs like books, or school bag, so the cash transfer will reduce my economic burden and give me peace of mind,” she told Our School producer, David Night, in Yambio, the state capital.

Unlike Boldit, Angelina has some education. She works in a small health clinic in Yambio to support her family. Angelina was able to sit down with her daughter and draw up a simple budget to calculate how they would spend the money.

Eighteen-year-old Lith from Lakes state knows exactly what she wants to do with some of her money.

“I will buy a book to remind me that there is something good in education,” she said.

The new cash transfer scheme is part of the Girls Education South Sudan project, and is funded by the UK’s Department for International Development.

Related links

Girls Education South Sudan

�鶹Լ�� Media Action’s work in South Sudan

�鶹Լ�� Media Action’s work with women and girls (PDF)

Follow �鶹Լ�� Media Action on Twitterand Facebook

�鶹Լ�� News: Q&A South Sudan clashes

Go back to �鶹Լ�� Media Action