, in partnership with Canaan Properties, officially handed over Gorom Secondary School to refugees in Gorom Refugee Camp, located in Juba County, Central Equatoria State, on September 20, 2024.){kind=link}
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), in partnership with Canaan Properties, officially handed over Gorom Secondary School to refugees in Gorom Refugee Camp, located in Juba County, Central Equatoria State, on September 20, 2024.
Dignitaries present at the ceremony included Dr. Kuyok Abuol, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, alongside the Director General of the CES Ministry of Education and representatives from the Refugee Commission.
Gorom Refugee Camp, situated 26 kilometers from Juba, was originally established in 2010 to host 2,500 Ethiopian refugees fleeing conflict in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. Since the conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023, the camp has expanded to accommodate over 7,000 new arrivals from Sudan, bringing the camp’s population to approximately 10,000.
“No one expected something like this. You have built a school that will educate many students, both from the host and refugee communities. You never know—some of these students may become doctors, engineers, and leaders in the future. I commend Canaan Group for fulfilling their social responsibilities and thank the host community for providing the land.”
The school’s construction was fully supported by Bereket Gorito, a former refugee and the owner of Canaan Group of Construction. During the handover ceremony, Gorito, reflecting on his own experiences as a refugee, emphasized the importance of education:
“As a former refugee, I understand what it means to lack opportunities. Before this, there was no secondary school in the area, making it very difficult for students who completed primary school to continue their education. This school will change that.”