For the last four
years, South Sudan has faced unprecedented flash floods affecting several
infrastructures including schools and other educational facilities. Machour
primary school in Machour Payam, Yirol East County is one of over 800 schools
affected country wide. Five classrooms and one office block were severely
destroyed by floods and strong storms. With roofs completely blown off, the
school was forced to operate outside under tree shades. Shortage of instructional
materials such blackboards, chalks, textbooks, charts and insufficient
teachers, and classroom facilities, like furniture further made it a daunting
task to facilitate learning. As a result, students lost interest to continue
studies. Many students dropped out of school while a few others joined other
schools.
The second phase of
ECW’s MYRP program that commenced in 2023 presented a ray of hope. Help
Education South Sudan (HESS), an implementing partner worked with FCA and renovated
classroom blocks and other school infrastructures to resuscitate normal school
operations. Program support also included training school management team on
disaster management, school planning and oversight to sustain learning in the
event of future shocks. As part of continuous professional development, HESS
trained eight teachers to improve their facilitation skills in delivering
teaching and learning.
By the second
quarter of 2024, Machuor primary school had registered additional enrolment at 841
students, from 700. The rehabilitated structures not only attracted new
learners but additional teachers who have since joined the school and improved
the teacher student ratio (1:38). In the second term of 2024, Machuor primary
school had registered 22 teachers. The refurbishment of classrooms and offices,
and strategies teachers adopted from the training on lesson planning, class
management and students’ motivation and engagement significantly influenced quality
of learning in the school.
