We empower young people in South Sudan to
end poverty and violent conflict in their communities.
About South Sudan
Birth of the Nation
South Sudan became independent on July 9th, 2011, after seceding from the Sudan following two decades of civil war that killed two million people and left four million others displaced, including the lost boys of the Sudan.
Return to War
In 2013, two years after independence, South Sudan relapsed into civil war. The war shattered new hopes for the people, and resulted in another 400,000 deaths and 3.7 million displacements, according to UNDP reports. A peace accord was finally signed in 2018.
Rampant Poverty
The long history of wars and constant destruction has left the population in dire poverty. 8 in 10 people in South Sudan live in poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 a day according to the World Bank. Food insecurity remains extremely high across the country.
The youth are the hope for a brighter South Sudan. Young people aged below 30 years make up 74 per cent of the population of South Sudan according to UNICEF. These young people, if given educational opportunities, can transform their lives and communities.
There is hope and an opportunity.
Education Bridge works to empower young people in South Sudan, through holistic education, to end poverty and violent conflict in their communities.
Up to 70% of South Sudanese primary and secondary school-aged children are out of school according to UNICEF
Without quality education, young people cannot contribute effectively to peacebuilding, economic and political growth of the nation. Thus, education remains the surest way to peace and prosperity in South Sudan. However, the country has some of the worst educational indicators in the world. Access to secondary education in particular is dismal, with gross enrolment rate reported at just 9%. Quality remains a key issue for the few schools that exist.
This is where Education Bridge Inc. comes in. Together with our partners, we are providing access to quality contextually relevant secondary education, and improving the quality of primary education through teacher training.
Our Approach
Providing access to quality secondary education
Secondary school gross enrolment rate in South Sudan is 9%. We are building a network of secondary schools that will provide access to quality secondary education for 5000 students in grade 9-12. We currently have two schools in two states, serving about a thousand students.
We partner with education leaders on the continent like the African Leadership Academy to design systems, and processes to ensure quality instruction and programs. Our schools are proving to be a model of academic excellence in the country, with Greenbelt Academy-Bor recently ranked top school in the country based on its performance on national examinations.
Breaking barriers to girls’ education
The female literacy rate in South Sudan is about 28%. Access to quality education in South Sudan is difficult in general, but this is even worse for girls. Girls are the largest group of students out of school. Poverty, cultural beliefs and child marriage are some of the factors contributing to this issue.
South Sudan cannot succeed without empowering its women to contribute to the nation’s economy. This is why Education Bridge is committed to increasing access to girls education. Through our Girl Education Fund, we provide scholarships and other necessary materials to ensure girls enrol and remain in schools. We invest in boarding facilities for girls. Data shows that when girls are in boarding, they tend to be more successful academically.
Fostering innovative peace education and youth leadership development
We believe schools are great spaces for peacebuilding and youth leadership development. We are providing an education that prepares young people to be agents of social change. We are challenging the narrative of ethnic and gender stereotyping and preparing young people to bring about a more united and peaceful South Sudan.
We achieve this through a unique curriculum on leadership and conflict transformation, which develop leadership and conflict resolution skills, and enhance beliefs and attitudes for harmonious living.
Improving the quality of primary education through teacher training
According to UNESCO, only about 35% of primary school teachers in South Sudan have received any form of teacher training. Most primary schools teachers are secondary school leavers or below and do it on voluntary basis.
Investing in teacher training is one of the ways to improve access to quality primary education in South Sudan. Primary school teachers don’t have to be university graduates; exceptional secondary school leavers can be trained into excellent primary school teachers. That is what Education Bridge is doing. We identify and train graduates from our secondary schools to teach in local primary schools.
Our Impact Since 2017
Launched 2 Secondary School Campuses in South Sudan
One of our schools ranked #1 School in South Sudan in 2021
Provided high-quality education to 1,200+ Students
Delivered 120+ full scholarships to vulnerable youths
Sent our graduates to top universities in the US and prestigious preparatory schools internationally
‘‘Being given a scholarship by Education Bridge gave me opportunities I never had.”
— Ajier Maggie, Greenbelt alumnus and current
Morehead Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina
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