Historic $17m Climate-Smart School Drive
Juba’s Freedom Hall saw ministers, donors and pupils applaud the launch of the Building the Climate Resilience of Children and Communities through the Education Sector, BRACE. The US$17 million plan promises learning continuity for more than 200,000 South Sudanese children battered by floods and heat.
Solar Power, Safe Water and Cool Classes
Hundreds of classrooms will be retrofitted with rooftop solar panels, rain-water harvesting tanks, efficient ventilation and upgraded latrines. Officials say these practical tweaks transform fragile mud-brick buildings into year-round shelters where lessons can proceed despite blackouts, droughts or sudden temperature spikes.
Teaching Climate Action, Not Just Math
Beyond bricks, the curriculum is being revised so pupils learn why rivers overflow, how to map safe evacuation routes and which crops survive erratic seasons. Education Minister Dr Kuyok stresses that knowledge lets communities ‘predict, adapt and prosper instead of merely enduring disaster’.
Partnerships Fund Resilience Blueprint
Funding comes from the Green Climate Fund and the Global Partnership for Education, channelled through Save the Children and UNESCO. Vice-President Josephine Lagu called the coalition ‘a promise to the children of South Sudan’ that shows government and partners can secure classrooms even in turmoil.
Hope for Learners Facing Rising Waters
More than one million residents have endured recurrent floods since 2020. Save the Children’s Chris Nyamandi believes BRACE can become a regional model, arguing it ‘protects the right to study today and prepares young people to lead tomorrow’s climate solutions’.
Officials predict that sturdier, greener schools will give families confidence to keep children enrolled, reversing pandemic-era dropouts and nurturing a generation ready to rebuild a peaceful South Sudan.