Words such as ‘boundaries’, ‘ceasefire’, ‘diversity’, ‘implementation’, ‘constitution’, and ‘democracy’ are some of the few that they struggled to spell out, yet the Aweil students seemed to be enjoying themselves in a spelling contest that also served as a learning forum.

 “I have been teaching for three years. Many of my colleagues abandoned their profession and ran to organizations and companies with better pay. My main objective is to bring up my brothers and sisters from the lower level because they are the future of tomorrow.”

At 101.5FM, about 75 per cent of the over 400,000 inhabitants of the Tonj area are now listening to Radio Miraya, run by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).