UNMISS peacekeepers from South Korea hand over educational material to students in Jonglei

unmiss south korea peace education engineers development protection of civilians bor Jonglei south sudan peacekeepers united nations UN peacekeeping

To build trust and confidence among local populations, South Korean peacekeepers from UNMISS recently handed over scholastic material and sports items to students from five primary schools in Bor, as well as to the Dr John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology and five schools in Bor, Jonglei state. Photo by Angellah Mandoreba/UNMISS.

28 Feb 2023

UNMISS peacekeepers from South Korea hand over educational material to students in Jonglei

Angellah Mandoreba

JONGLEI – When South Sudan gained independence, the country’s infrastructure, including schools, was nearly decimated.

The situation was exacerbated by civil wars that left death and more devastation in its wake.

With the signing of a peace deal in 2018 and the formation of a transitional government of national unity, politically motivated violence greatly reduced.

However, ongoing intercommunal conflict, exacerbated by climate shocks, as well as entrenched cultural practices such as early or forced marriages have led to a lack of consistent education for everybody.

To build trust and confidence among local populations, South Korean peacekeepers from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) recently handed over scholastic material and sports items to students from five primary schools in Bor, as well as to the Dr John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology and five schools in Bor, Jonglei state.

“We have been serving for peace in Jonglei for 10 years now,” revealed Lieutenant-Colonel Kim Yong-Man, Acting Commander of the South Korean engineers. “This is our way of showing our appreciation to young students who are the future of this country.”

For their part, students at Dr John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology were delighted.

“We are extremely heartened by this generosity from UNMISS. All of us have to struggle to ensure we continue our education and gestures such as this one by our friends from South Korea motivate us,” revealed Almer Mabior Nhial a student studying agriculture.

At the handover ceremony, Gabriel Deng Ajak, state Minister for Education, encouraged students to continue learning, despite all odds.

“Despite crippling challenges to the education sector, we are committed to doing everything in our power to establish vibrant and results-oriented public education services that prioritizes girls,” stated Minister Ajak.

In the past, UNMISS peacekeepers have built sports facilities for the Akobo Girls Elementary School.