The former Minister for Education, John Gai says reading and writing should be used as a constructive and healthy form of expression.

John Gai Yoh, now Presidential advisor on Education is using his office to promote literacy. 

An author of several books himself; Mr. Gai says he was inspired to pick up a pen to tell his story as a Sudanese refugee in 1997.

“During my time as a refugee, we debated a lot about South Sudan’s political aspirations, whether we would be better off as an Independent nation or not,” he explained. 

Fast forward nearly 30 years later, Mr. Gai has authored several books on the history of South Sudan. His latest publications, ‘Visions and Challenges of South Sudan and Hazards of Building a Nation,’ are a reflection on the challenges of a new country. 

He says writing should be a constructive form of expression, saying “those who really want to write must choose a topic that develops the country.”

Mr. Gai’s comments resonate with the 2016 Literacy Day, celebrated on 08 September under the theme - “Reading the Past, Writing the Future.”

For the country’s leaders, the education advisor says “it is time for them to read and write the country’s history,” adding that they should play their part in telling the country’s story.

Mr. Gai is also encouraging female authors to pick up a pen, saying the best writers in South Sudan are women, and must be encouraged to write.

According to data from the United Nations, the adult literacy rate stands at 27 per cent, with the number of female adults able to read and write at a mere 15 percent.