Funding Gaps Threaten Classroom Doors
Primary schools in Pigi County, Jonglei State, are edging toward closure as financial support evaporates, local education officials warn.
Director Machok Duot Deng says 7,107 pupils lack basics—exercise books, pens and even chalk—after budgets stalled and partner donations slowed (Radio Tamazuj).
Volunteer Teachers Shoulder the Load
Only 45 teachers remain, all unpaid volunteers striving to keep lessons alive despite personal hardship.
“We teach because we are part of this community,” explains Santo Monyluak, noting months without salaries have dimmed morale and instructional quality.
Floods and Insecurity Intensify Strain
Annual flooding has isolated villages, cutting supply routes and raising costs for any scholastic material that can reach Pigi.
Insecurity along river corridors further disrupts deliveries, leaving classrooms with empty cupboards and parents unable to bridge the gap.
Learners Speak of Empty Bags
Grade Six learner Monyuat Kuol says students attend classes bare-handed, sharing scarce textbooks and improvising slates in place of notebooks.
He reports overcrowded rooms where frustration grows each time a lesson pauses for lack of chalk.
Community Leaders Appeal for Rescue
Paramount Chief Paul Pur voices collective anxiety, urging government and humanitarian agencies to restore funding before the academic year derails.
Education Director Deng echoes the plea, calling for quick interventions so children stay in school and teachers regain hope.