Update from Wau, South Sudan
Girls need a safe place where they will be encouraged to gain an education and learn skills that will help improve their overall circumstances.
Wau, South Sudan
In South Sudan, only one in 10 girls completes her primary education.
After quite a delay, construction on a Girl's school in Wau, South Sudan, is back underway! A good interim report, the removal of some COVID restrictions, and some generous donors have allowed our partners on the ground to continue the construction.
South Sudan has some of the lowest educational statistics in the world, especially in the area of health and education for girls. Only one in 10 girls completes her primary education. The cattle culture in South Sudan - which values girls as a source of wealth if they marry at an early age - also contributes to the challenges of keeping girls in school. Girls need a safe place where they will be encouraged to gain an education and learn skills that will help improve their overall circumstances.
To address this need, the Diocese of Wau (in the northwestern region of the country) is constructing a secondary boarding school for girls. When completed, this school will empower girls by offering an affordable, quality education.
Approved in 2018, the project is being completed in phases and has taken longer than expected, due to COVID. When a report from the Diocese about the second phase of activity could not be independently verified, the project was delayed.
Why is it important to verify project activities at each step of the project? It definitely slows things down, especially during a global pandemic, when restrictions are already slowing the transport of materials and personnel.
We trust our partners, but even in the closest of relationships, our model is to verify the work on the ground. In addition to creating good stewardship, our partners report that they like being held accountable. In many contexts, it helps them to explain to the community exactly what the funds are for and why, reducing the pressure to spend on other urgent needs.
However, at long last, a positive interim report allowed ARDF to send the next tranche of funding. This phase of the project will complete the kitchen, a fence around the property, a water tank and taps, among other things. We have already received photos showing the construction of the kitchen and the septic tank. While not glamorous parts of the school, they are necessary for the school to open and we are honored to support these activities.
Impact
Once the buildings are all complete, the school will accommodate 400 girls at full capacity. But the impact will be bigger than this. This project is expected to have a larger impact (2,015 people) as members of the community come to value education for girls as they interact with the school as parents, vendors, suppliers, neighbors, etc. Already, as neighbors have asked about the construction, the church has had the opportunity to discuss the opportunities for girls that this school will bring. The actual number will be tracked in the final evaluation, once the project is complete. The diocese will measure attendance and completion rates, as well as reduced numbers of child brides in the region and among the student body.
Join us in praying for the completion of this project as well as for peace in the region.
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