Safe Spaces Foster Leadership
In Malakal, Upper Nile State, a small classroom doubles as a sanctuary where forty adolescents practice public speaking and project planning under the Girls Leadership Club created by the National Press Club South Sudan.
Weekly mentoring sessions blend debate, entrepreneurship tips and psychosocial support, nurturing confidence in a town still healing from years of conflict.
Voices of Determination
Nineteen-year-old shopkeeper Susan Daniel says the initiative reignited her childhood ambition of practicing medicine while financing her siblings’ tuition through trade.
“This engagement reminded me that setbacks are temporary,” she remarks, tallying sales outside Malakal market at dusk.
Her narrative exemplifies how curated peer networks can transform personal perseverance into community optimism.
Education as an Unshakable Asset
NPC-SS Executive Director Poverty Alfred consistently frames schooling as “a treasure no one can confiscate” during outreach visits (NPC-SS).
He argues that certificates position graduates to rebuild South Sudan’s economy and contribute to regional stability.
Community Role in Girls’ Progress
Alfred calls on parents, chiefs and faith leaders to discourage early marriage and champion continuous learning, insisting collective endorsement accelerates national development.
Local elders, interviewed outside the PoC site, concur that educated daughters ultimately strengthen household resilience through diversified income streams.
Looking Ahead for Young Visionaries
Since 2021 the club network in Juba, Pibor and Malakal has guided 120 participants, with plans to expand as security conditions permit.
For teenagers like Susan, each workshop represents a step toward leading hospitals, businesses or ministries that will shape tomorrow’s South Sudan.