Gender Equity through Education in South Sudan

“My dream of being a lawyer is coming true,” said Esther Abono Sisto, a former GEE-supported scholar currently working as an intern in the program’s Juba, South Sudan office. Esther is one of two members of GEE’s recently-developed scholar-intern program, which gives exceptional GEE graduates a chance to get work experience and earn money between completing secondary school and their next endeavor. Esther is preparing to study law at the university. She attended an Arabic pattern secondary school so this internship is giving her a chance to improve her English and earn tuition money.

Rakela Joseph has also benefited from an internship with GEE. Rakela works in the program’s Wau office, assisting with filing, paperwork and workshop planning, while also chipping in as an Arabic-English interpreter for program activities. She hopes to purchase a computer to set up an office to help train future GEE graduates in secretarial skills. She will also use her earnings to help pay school fees for her sisters who have dropped out of school due to financial limitations.

In addition to piloting the scholar-intern program, GEE has had a number of other important achievements since the beginning of 2012. Between January and March of this year, the program benefited some 670 students though improvement grants at their schools; delivered financial and material incentives to over 185 secondary school and teacher training institute students; and conducted leadership training for 42 South Sudanese education officials, while also helping to facilitate a locally-organized and GEE-inspired follow-on training for 17 additional officials.

GEE is primed to build upon its successes in the coming months, as it continues to strengthen local capacity with the aim of promoting sustainable impact.