I am at Godo Primary School in Gorom refugee camp located 24 kilometers North-West of Juba along the Yei road in South Sudan.
This camp set up in 2010, holds over 2,000 refugees from Ethiopia. Half of them are young people including girls who are more vulnerable.
Godo is the only primary school in the area providing education for both the host community and children refugees in the camp.
The school has an enrolment of over 650 pupils this year. 365 boys and 320 girls.
I want to become a doctor when I finish my education. This is the dream of a deprived teenager residing in the refugee camp.
Gina (not her real name) is a 20 year old mother trying to finish her primary school. She moved with her parents to Gorom a year after the settlement was set up.
But the journey towards her dream has not been easy.
Gina sometimes misses classes when she is on her periods because her parents cant afford to provide her with sanitary pads.
‘My life in school is better. But there are a number of things that are not provided for us. Like school shoes, soap, underwear and sanitary pads. I want the girls in this school to be supported so that they can realize their dreams.’
But lack of sanitary pads is not the only problem she faces in the course of her studies. Early marriage has also been a huge obstacle along her path. She got pregnant and stayed away from school for over a year.
Gina now appeals to girls in refugee camps around the world to avoid early marriage as this will affect their future.
‘My message to all girls is to stay in school and avoid early marriage. They have to study first, develop themselves, and all other things will be achieved after their education.’
Her teacher Salwa Lula says Gina is a good student who turned to a girl education advocate after giving birth at a young age.
‘Gina is a good girl and very active in the school. She helps with talking to girls about the importance of education using her own example. She also performs well and gets good passing marks always’.
Teacher Salwa confirms that at lower primary level, you will find many girls. But the number reduces drastically in the upper classes.
‘Girls are performing well, and there are more girls in lower classes. But in upper classes, the number reduces to less than ten. This is what we are experiencing in this school.’
Another pupil, Lona wishes to be a doctor in order to teach people about healthy life and sanitation.
‘I want to study for a better future and later become a doctor to treat the sick and teach people about sanitation. People must be clean at all times both at school or at home.’
Meanwhile, there is a commitment from UNHCR and partners that children in the most extreme circumstances should be helped especially those in crisis situations to have the opportunity to be educated.
Also, article 29 sub section 2 of the constitution of South Sudan says ”Government shall promote education at all levels, and shall ensure free and compulsory education at the primary level and also provide illiteracy eradication programs”.
Eujin Byun is the spokesperson of the UN refugee agency or UNHCR in South Sudan. She says the number of girls in the upper classes has dropped significantly over the years, but UNHCR and the teachers are talking to parents to encourage their daughters to stay in school.
‘In primary one and two there are many girls in school. But reaching primary six, seven and eight there are few girls. Now we have parent’s teachers group to encourage the girls to stay in school longer’
Providing girls with basic needs such as sanitary pads and encouraging parents to allow their daughters to stay longer in school will help in a big way. It will motivate girls like Lona and Gina who aspire to be doctors will get the chance to achieve their goals.
UNHCR’s Eugin has this special message to all girls around the world.
‘Whenever I visit a refugee camp, I check the number of girls in primary seven and eight. But it’s sad that the number drops drastically living a huge consequence on the girls. As an educated woman and humanitarian worker, I want the girls to dream big and pursue all their dreams’
As the world celebrates international women’s day, these girls and their colleagues in the Gorom refugee camp needs the support of all in order to achieve their dreams.
This story was produced with support from UNHCR and Journalists for Human Rights JHR as part of the series for IWD 2019 in South Sudan.