By Hassan Arun Cosmas
Female learners who are attending the South Sudan Secondary Certificate exams in Yei River of Central Equatoria State are calling for support in order to achieve their long term goals.
A student of St Joseph Secondary School of the Catholic Diocese of Yei, Mbaya Charity Soroba, says challenges are very much confronting her especially affording paying school requirements, Radio Easter reported.
She reveals joining university to study medicine and become a laboratory technician and that lack of support hinders her and other girls from completing their studies.
Charity calls on the national government to avail scholarships to the girls to help them accomplish their dreams.
The student believes that educating a girl is like educating the whole nation and advises her fellow girls to take education a priority despite the challenges they go through.
“You know very well that when one goes to school, he or she has ambitions have the plans to become a medical personnel but lack of support hinders many girls from achieving their goals have the plan to join university to study medicine and become a laboratory technician but there is no one to support. I call upon our government to support girls by availing scholarship program so that we can be able to achieve our dreams,” she appeals.
The student appeals to her fellow girls to value education and avoid dropping out from school despite the difficult situation confronting them.
She believes that lack of support by parents to the school girls is a contributing factor for them to drop out from school and go for early marriage.
Charity urges girls to continue with studies and avoid dependence on others and be self-reliant in communities.
“My advice to the girls is that, there is need to go to school because we are the future of the nation. If we drop out from school, without us who do you expect to take our positions if we are not educated. So what I can tell the girls is that let us continues with studies know sometimes there are challenges at home that are confronting girls to drop out from school especially basic need. Sometimes parents do not provide to the girls who as a result they will feel that it is better to get married so that the husband takes the responsibility, that is the reason why girls drop out from school,” she notes.
Another student, Rose Keji Eluzai, discloses a plan to further her studies after completion of senior four.
She mentions a challenge of support that might prevent her from achieving her goals.
She reveals that her mother is the only one struggling to support her by providing her school requirements but that most of the basic needs are very difficult to meet.
“If I complete my senior four, I will go for further studies and after that I will attend more courses to upgrade the knowledge I got and later get some work to support myself and my vulnerable mother. The support that we need is that the government should provide basic needs and offer free education to girls to encourage them to join school because girls have many issues that need to be catered for,” Rose regrets.
The student advised their fellow friends to avoid going for early marriage, but continue with studies in order to have a better future.
Currently there are one hundred seventy-one girls sitting for South Sudan Secondary Certificate Exams in Yei River County.