The pupils who spoke with Radio Miraya said they lack exercise books, pens and pencils plus text books.

Voice of Children ARABIC……………………………………………………………………………….VC

The makeshift school in the protection of civilian’s sites is supported by the UN’s children’s agency - UNICEF.

Dr. Samuel Patti, UNICEF health specialist, said the agency has received some exercise books and text books which will soon be distributed to the students.

Clips: Dr. Patti ENGLISH………………………………………………………………………………………….VC

“ The good News i want to tell you is that, we have just received additional exercise books, Plus text books and even for earlier child education; So, we are doing the process of releasing them through the partners like inter-sos so that they can be distributed in the functional schools in the POC here; and before the end of this month, I assure you that all the children that got no exercise books will have the books so that they start learning like any other children in the Country.”

 

The pupils who spoke with Radio Miraya said they lack exercise books, pens and pencils plus text books.

Voice of Children ARABIC……………………………………………………………………………….VC

The makeshift school in the protection of civilian’s sites is supported by the UN’s children’s agency - UNICEF.

Dr. Samuel Patti, UNICEF health specialist, said the agency has received some exercise books and text books which will soon be distributed to the students.

Clips: Dr. Patti ENGLISH………………………………………………………………………………………….VC

“ The good News i want to tell you is that, we have just received additional exercise books, Plus text books and even for earlier child education; So, we are doing the process of releasing them through the partners like inter-sos so that they can be distributed in the functional schools in the POC here; and before the end of this month, I assure you that all the children that got no exercise books will have the books so that they start learning like any other children in the Country.”

 

The Government of Japan has urged the Transitional Government of National Unity, to make more efforts for finding a peaceful resolution, to pave way for development in the country.

The call by Japan’s Ambassador to South Sudan, Kiya Masahiko, comes after several projects run by the Japan International Cooperation Agency – JICA in South Sudan,  were ground to a halt due to the recent fighting in Juba. 

“Due to the incident last month, all the JICA people left and completion of the Freedom Bridge and the water system has stopped,” Ambassador Kiya Masahiko told Miraya Breakfast on Monday.

The Ambassador stressed that; “It is important for South Sudan, to regain peace and ensure adequate security, which are the prerequisites for the country to benefit from the JICA initiatives.”

Asked to give a possible date, when the JICA technical team could return to South Sudan, Ambassador Masahiko said their return be highly dependent on the efforts being made to stabilize the security in Juba.

“I saw them off on the 13^th of July and they were very sad, they were very hurt because they worked very hard to support the reconstruction of the country, but they told me please work hard to enhance security so that they can come back, that was the message they gave me as they left.”

He advised the political leadership in Juba to “renounce hostilities and arms and work together without resorting to fighting.” he said; “I think that will also enhance the credibility of this country so that we can come back.”

Ambassador Masahiko said that Japan is working with the International community, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission – JMEC and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan – UNMISS,  to support the implementation of the agreement to resolve the conflict in South Sudan.

He noted that Japan’s support for peace initiatives in South Sudan has been reflected through its contribution of 350 personnel to support  UNMISS peacekeeping operations and  the country’s membership to the IGAD plus partners forum.

“Japan is fully engaged in supporting peace agreement implementation,” he stressed.

Explaining the Japan’s priorities in South Sudan over the next few months, Ambassador Masahiko made three specific points.

One: Support the government and the people of South Sudan to restore, peace, security and stability.

Two: Address the immediate humanitarian challenges.

Three: Implement good economic policies with transparent public financial management, which will facilitate the support from the international community.

On Sunday, Heads of States attending the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development - TICAD adopted the Nairobi Declaration and its Implementation Plan, designed to enhance the continent’s growth through partnerships with Japan.

The Nairobi declaration seeks to promote structural economic transformation through diversification and industrialization, resilient health systems for quality of life and promotion of social stability for shared prosperity.

 

 

A vaccination campaign against a possible cholera outbreak and water-borne diseases has been launched in the UNMISS PoC site in Malakal. The ongoing program roofed by Upper Nile’s health cluster team, designed to prevent an outbreak of feasible cholera ,Travellers' Diarrhea, Typhoid Fever, as well as other infectious diseases caused by heavy rains in recent weeks.

Dr.  Alam Jahangir, the World Health Organization’s chief in Malakal, said the program includes cholera epidemic preparedness and response plan and will cover protection of civilians sites and the other areas cross the region.

“This is unsafe season for cholera. But from our side as health cluster in particular, we vaccinated them four times with four doses and we are still doing it for the new arrivals .So, from our side we did our part, but we also instructed other health clusters to identify some  risk factors. In terms of wash awareness, and safe drinking water, they are working hard and have   very good  network with  the Community. So, we  can  say these factors are there especially during the rainy  season,  especially  cholera  and other  water-  borne  disease, but  the measures taken by health cluster team is somehow okay to protect them from deadly diseases that include cholera.”

Teams have been setting up hand-washing points; providing feet spraying with chlorine solution at the main POC sites; and coordinating cholera prevention sensitization campaigns. They will also continue to support existing hygiene promotion campaigns, as well as the improvement of water and sanitation and Waterborne diseases that are caused by drinking contaminated or dirty water.

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta concluded a one day visit to Juba on Tuesday with words of encouragement for the country’s leaders to continue to press on with the implementation of the peace agreement. 

 

As special rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to the South Sudan peace process, the Kenyan leader’s visit was to demonstrate regional support and ensure implementation of the peace deal signed in August 2015.

 

“We are here to offer any kind of support to help accelerate this process,” President Kenyatta told reporters after a closed-door meeting with President Salva Kiir, adding that his country was ready to offer “moral” and “material” support.  

 

President Kenyatta said he was pleased about the developments in the country since the fighting in July.

 

“I am glad to have seen for myself that after the unfortunate incident that took place a few weeks ago, everything in Juba looks like it is back to normal and the government is working in harmony,” he said. 

 

President Kiir said the visit by the Kenyan leader is testimony to strong regional support.

 

"For President Uhuru to come to Juba, shows that the regional leadership is with us, and they are very concerned about the situation in South Sudan," Kiir said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was the first head of state to visit the country after the fighting in July, and comes just days before the United Nations Security Council is expected to visit South Sudan.

 

 

 

The pupils who spoke with Radio Miraya said they lack exercise books, pens and pencils plus text books.

Voice of Children ARABIC……………………………………………………………………………….VC

The makeshift school in the protection of civilian’s sites is supported by the UN’s children’s agency - UNICEF.

Dr. Samuel Patti, UNICEF health specialist, said the agency has received some exercise books and text books which will soon be distributed to the students.

Clips: Dr. Patti ENGLISH………………………………………………………………………………………….VC

“ The good News i want to tell you is that, we have just received additional exercise books, Plus text books and even for earlier child education; So, we are doing the process of releasing them through the partners like inter-sos so that they can be distributed in the functional schools in the POC here; and before the end of this month, I assure you that all the children that got no exercise books will have the books so that they start learning like any other children in the Country.”

 

The United Nations Development program – UNDP in partnership with the Radio Miraya, a UN radio in South Sudan,  have launched a new phase of interactive drama series, as part of the greater efforts designed to rally local communities for peace.

According to UNDP, the latest phase of Kuburi Bridge, has been inspired by the desire to involve community members to share first-hand experiences of community issues, and discuss how to solve these issues in a peaceful manner.

“We believe that by dramatizing some of these issues, and having people laugh and listen in, we shall begin to have an appreciation of the challenges we have in society,” said Mr. Sammy Odolot, UNDP’s Community Security and Arms Control Project officer.” 

The Kuburi Bridge radio drama series features a vibrant cast of young South Sudanese actors and struggling with the common issues and challenges faced in their communities.

Odolot told Miraya Breakfast show, that the issues highlighted in the drama re-echo the everyday challenges common to people across South Sudan. Some of the issues he said, include; co-existence, domestic violence, tribalism, early marriages and transition from emergencies.

“We now have a Kuburi bridge, that is looking at how we can harness the potential of all South Sudanese towards peace,” said Mr. Odolot, adding that the drama series is using education and entertainment to capture real issues that communities in South Sudan are grappling with.

Odolot explained that as the characters in the drama encounter these challenges, they realize that they can actually draw experiences and overcome these situations by understanding their differences and acting on issues that unite them for peace.

 “We are trying to appeal to those small issues and segments of communities to try and say that enough is enough, it is time for us South Sudanese we started being honest about our own individual contributions towards peace.”

Mr. Odolot said combining drama with listener interactivity, provides one of the most powerful platforms to depict realities on the ground, engage listeners to share experiences, with an aim to respect diversity of opinion and promote peace.

Sammy Odolot acknowledges that; “communities have been for instance traumatized,” adding that UNDP has “a dramatized episode, which depict the situation on the ground and we shall have expert panelists coming in to talk about that topic and in addition to a discussion.”

“It is an opportunity for the people to engage, share experiences,  but more importantly try to rally their voices for a common good, so the significance of Kuburi Bridge is to try and change the mindset, said Odolot

Not only does Radio Drama tap into the listeners’ emotions, but the combination of drama and humor, has been seen to significantly enhance engagement, turning the listener into a participant.

“We laugh in Kuburi Bridge, but after laughing, we reflect. As people laugh, as people enjoy the drama, there are lessons picked, that could potentially help this country to shape a peaceful narrative.”

Odolot remains optimistic that Kuburi Bridge Drama series will enable the communities to use their experiences to transform from a violent narrative, to a narrative that speaks to peace and forgiveness.

The interactive episode blending a 5-minute broadcast quality drama, with expert discussion and listener interaction, will air in Arabic on Tuesdays 2pm – 3pm and English episodes air on Thursdays 10 – 11am.

 

President Uhuru Kenyatta concluded a one day visit to Juba on Tuesday with words of encouragement for the country’s leaders to continue to press on with the implementation of the peace agreement. 

 

As special rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to the South Sudan peace process, the Kenyan leader’s visit was to demonstrate regional support and ensure implementation of the peace deal signed in August 2015.

 

“We are here to offer any kind of support to help accelerate this process,” President Kenyatta told reporters after a closed-door meeting with President Salva Kiir, adding that his country was ready to offer “moral” and “material” support.  

 

President Kenyatta said he was pleased about the developments in the country since the fighting in July.

 

“I am glad to have seen for myself that after the unfortunate incident that took place a few weeks ago, everything in Juba looks like it is back to normal and the government is working in harmony,” he said. 

 

President Kiir said the visit by the Kenyan leader is testimony to strong regional support.

 

"For President Uhuru to come to Juba, shows that the regional leadership is with us, and they are very concerned about the situation in South Sudan," Kiir said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta was the first head of state to visit the country after the fighting in July, and comes just days before the United Nations Security Council is expected to visit South Sudan.