CREATING HOPE FOR GIRLS TO REMAIN IN SCHOOL THROUGH MENTOR INITIATIVES

     Hadia Nyoka Samuel (infront), Lead Captain, and  Modong Emmanuel,  Assistant Captain, visited Juba International Airport to meet  United Nations Humanitarian Air Service - UNHAS Captain for a tour of the plane. They sat at the cockpit and engage in questions and answers with the captain of what being a pilot feels like and how easy it is to become a pilot.

Juba, South Sudan:  Six ambitious South Sudanese school girls assumed the role of senior positions at three various institutions in South Sudan to commemorate the 'International Day of the Girl Child' on 11th October 2021.

The one-day “Takeover” or “Girls in Leadership” activity was facilitated by Save the Children. Three girls from Juba Diocesan Secondary School and three from Mentor Primary and Secondary School in Juba symbolically occupied the offices of Save the Children’s Country Director, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)’s Sector Commander, and the role of UNHAS’s humanitarian Pilot.

The girls occupied the senior positions to "assert their undeniable rights to equal treatment. The purpose is to give these girls an insight into the adult world and benefit from fresh perspectives on their role and future ambitions.

Save the Children in partnership with school focal points provided mentorship skills to the selected girls during the International Day of the Girl Child.  The girls interacted with Save the Children's Country Director, Rama Hansraj -where she explained her role and the important work Save the Children is doing to save children’s lives, fight for their rights, help them fulfil their potential and in safeguarding and advocating for children's rights.

This interaction helped the girls to fit into the role when they occupied the position.

Save the Children joined the South Sudan Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, other line ministries in collaboration with partners to commemorate the day at Juba Day Girls Primary/Secondary School. South Sudan is marking the day under the theme: "Girl Child; Digitalization is the Space for Empowerment". It is a call to "action for radical social and political change to tear down barriers of discrimination and prejudice that continue to hold girls back.

Despite the great work taking place across the organization to get children safely back to school, there is still a lot to be done.  As some of the schools across South Sudan remain closed due to flooding and conflict, access to education and protection from harm remains a dream to many – and for 1.2 million children in South Sudan.  Save the Children is mobilizing children to get back into learning and helps to ensure that children who are unable to return to school receive learning that is contextually appropriate and operational feasible.

Save the Children has been working with and for children, their families and communities in South Sudan since 1991, providing access to education, healthcare and nutrition support, and families with food security and livelihoods assistance. Our child protection programmes support vulnerable children including unaccompanied and separated children and those affected by violence. 

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to see more photos.

Written by Daniel Danis/Save the Children

Edited by Tito Justin/Save the Children