By: Ginaba Lino
South Sudan is among one of the countries in the world with very few professionally trained teachers.
Teachers in Wulu County of Lake State are not exceptional, with low level of education coupled with lack of professional institute for teachers, teachers can only relay on their own knowledge or benefit from organizations offering capacity building to teachers.
Oxfam in South Sudan with support from Sweden International Cooperation for Development Agency (SIDA) is offering a wide range of training to teachers in Lake State to improve their skills in the profession.
The headteacher of Morngeny Primary school Lagu Henry told Catholic Radio Network that Oxfam has built capacity of teachers at his school hence leading to improvement in teaching, drafting of scheme of work and lesson planning.
He added the trainings on scheme of work and lesson planning and teachers learning cycle (TLC) has helped many of the teachers in doing their work.
“Oxfam is doing a lot, especially in this school here, one of the things Oxfam is doing is offering training to the teachers especially on drafting scheme of work and lesson planning, which is also related in class management, in addition to that, they introduced us to what they call Teacher Learning Cycle or TLC. They also provide dignity kits for young girls and train our Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and school management committee.”
The head teacher added that Oxfam also provide scholastic materials like school exercise books, pens, chalk and counter books for preparing the scheme of work, and lesson planning.
Damaris Francis, a senior woman teacher at the school said that she has gain more knowledge and improve her teaching skills through the support Oxfam is offering.
“The trainings I got from Oxfam has helped me a lot because I’m not a teacher by profession but through these trainings now I’m able to teach these pupils and also support the young girls on matters that affect them, and they are not able to speak about it with the male teachers”.
Damaris added that before she was trained by Oxfam, she was not able to stand in front of pupils and deliver lesson well, but after the training, she gained confidence to teach her class.
“Before I was not trained, I was not able to go to class and teach or to stand in front of the students. But now I have that capacity or that ability to deliver lessons well to students. I did not know how to prepare scheme of work and lesson planning for myself or able to address pupils during assembly in the morning, but now I’m doing all those things even if other teachers are not around, I can manage the students alone, “Damaris narrates.”
She regrets the issue of force marriage increasing in Wulu County, citing that it destroys the future of girls who have plan to build South Sudan.
The senior woman teacher calls on Oxfam, government, and other Organization to capacity build all teachers in Wulu County and Lake State at large.
Meanwhile the Area Program of Oxfam in Rumbek Majier Majok in his overview highlighted the activities done by Oxfam in supporting the vulnerable communities of South Sudan.
Majok said Oxfam is currently implementing four projects in lake state addressing the needs of education, food security and gender disparities, and peace building to reconcile community,
“Oxfam Lake State currently have about four projects, three of which are integrated projects that has different components. One project is funded by SIDA that is implemented in Aweril and Wulu Counties, that has component of food security and livelihood, inclusive education, and gender.”
The Program Manager commends that these projects have impacted a lot of lives in Lake state.
“As Oxfam we take gender and protection very seriously and with gender it engages more with women rights organizations and establishment of gender champion that helps in championing gender in the community”. He emphasized.
He added that despite the support given by Oxfam to the communities of Lake State, there is still gaps, and with some projects ending, it’s a threat to the communities.