Background:

African Revival has been working in South Sudan for over 15 years. South Sudan is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, ranking last in the Human Development Index. South Sudan has the highest poverty rate at 82.3%, indicating severe economic challenges and a need for significant humanitarian and developmental aid (World Population Review). Infrastructure, sanitation, and public services are lacking, and many South Sudanese people are displaced. The country has been officially peaceful since 2020, however, traversing nomadic herders from neighbouring countries and local ethnic disputes still cause violence to erupt and the area remains unstable.

Up to 2.8 million children in South Sudan are not receiving an education – the highest proportion of out-of-school children in the world (UNICEF). The voluntary return of refugees from neighbouring countries will further exacerbate the pressure on existing school facilities. South Sudan is one of the toughest places in the world to complete an education, particularly for girls. Around 90% of South Sudanese women are illiterate and women are more likely to die in childbirth than to complete primary education.

UK FCDO advises against travel to South Sudan, which makes operating there a challenge.  African Revival chooses not to employ staff on the ground in South Sudan, but instead works closely with in-country contractors, construction partners, and the local Diocese. All infrastructure projects are overseen by our Ugandan Country Manager, Vincent Komakech, who is a qualified engineer. Vincent has been working with the local contractors for over 10 years and travels to the schools on occasion, when it is safe to do so. African Revival’s Founder & Chairman, Anthony Allen, visits South Sudan once or twice each year for monitoring purposes.

Location:

African Revival projects are based primarily in Ibba and Maridi counties, within Western Equatoria State, in the extreme south-west of the country, bordering DRC, where we estimate only 1 in 5 children attend school. There are several community schools established in Ibba and Maridi, but all are lacking basic facilities and qualified teachers. Many of the children are learning outside in makeshift shelters, or outside under trees. Ibba and Maridi towns are 42km apart, connected by one road heading east to west (continuing to Juba, the capital city). The road further south goes towards Yei, where African Revival has supported teacher training and other education projects, in partnership with The Brickworks.

Objectives: 

In February 2022, African Revival Founder & Chairman, Anthony Allen, visited Ibba and Maridi, visiting over 40 schools in the area to complete a needs assessment, with a view to developing a three-year strategy of support for six focus schools, as part of the Thrive South Sudan three-year project. In May 2022, a proposal was agreed, whereby African Revival (AR) and Fields of Life (FOL) would work independently, but in parallel, to improve enrolment, retention, and completion of basic education in six schools in Maridi and Ibba counties of South Sudan by April 2025. Target schools originally identified were: Mamenze PS (Maridi), Town PS (Maridi), Haddow PS (Maridi), Haddow SS (Maridi), Baamani PS (Ibba), and St. Mary Nakuri (Ibba).

For and update on our work you can read this report Thrive South Sudan – Impact Report – April 2024 FINAL.