Transfer Sudan del Sur, through university training

Renato Martinez Yader Alan Neville, Master

“University education is the hope of society and the country, but above all, for women,” this is the condemnation of Father Alan Neville, the missionary of the Holy Heart, Director of the Catholic University in South Sudan, in Rumbeek, where it works in building a more prosperous country.

Education as a key to development

Father Alan Neville, who arrived in this African country in 2020, says at the heart of the mission, at the Catholic University of South Sudan, in Rumbek, “The Transformation”.

“The work that was designed in the holy heart and the training courses we offer, not only to educate the most marginalized in society, especially women, but also, to help build south south south of the south of the south, which is a low economic country, and follow their steps.

A real opportunity to support the population

Likewise, the Holy Heart Importer notes that the average life expectancy in South Sudan is 55 years old, and it is estimated that people do not spend more than 5.7 years of school on the average.

“The university provides a real opportunity to support the population, so that it moves from the state of emergency, to the approach to sustainable development. Social studies systematically showed that the rate of performance of education, especially the third level, helped people out of poverty, their families and their societies.”

Student meeting on the campus of Unniversidad

Towards the quality system

Father Neville says that the level of teaching in primary and secondary schools is highly low and most South American professors work with any basic qualification. A recent study of high school teachers conducted by the Ministry of Education and Public Education, in which its teaching ability was evaluated, revealed that among the 383 teachers, 330 (86.2 %) suspended the basic level exam, and only 53 (13.8 %). Therefore, students can end the school without a suitable field for mathematics and with poor literacy. This only serves to perpetuate the poverty cycle.

“Our special focus on education degrees aims to address this problem through high -quality teaching, which is taught by Atr and experienced practices in Catholic schools such as La Salle and Loreto, to design how to do things in another way. Our goal is to make our university campus a center of excellence for the second level of quality, in order to benefit from it, not only in the case of Lakes, but in the entire country.”

Education for everyone, but above all for women

Education for all, especially for women

The Catholic University is a growing institution and only in the past two years. People really want to go forward and the only way to do this is through education. There is already a great interest in our next upgrade.

“In the gender inequality index for 2022, out of 193 countries that were evaluated in the field of equality between men and women in the fields of health, employment and education, South Sudan once again ranked 192. It is considered one of the most difficult places in the world to be a woman, especially because of the problems that put women in education.

Students from the University of South Sudan Catholic

Statistically, the Sudanese girl is likely to die from birth here that ends the basic secondary education. Father Neville says that the number of students who managed to graduate and reach the university is not important, but its determination to move forward and create opportunities for themselves, because his sisters and daughters are fierce. We are working with them.

“In the last two years, we have launched a program for women’s scholarships, which reduces prices by 50 %. Thanks to this, the percentage of registered women has gone from 19 % to 34 %. We planned to continue progress in this regard. We have consulted a representative group for students and dragged to teach children, and they notice that children practice us.”

Access to education for persons with disabilities

The missionary of the Holy Heart also explains that they have made the campus completely available and build a suitable access to wheelchairs, so that any student with disabilities here can study here easily. Our goal is to open education from the third level for those who have the necessary ability and passion and that they could have been excluded from. No one is more enthusiastic about achieving the change that the inhabitants of South Sudan themselves, who understand their local environment, will get education in the twenty -first century and are determined to make a change.

Build a better future for everyone

As the director of the Catholic University in South Sudan, on the Rumpk campus, Father Neville concludes, it is a special honor to serve the community of this place. As missionaries of the holy heart, we are called to be supportive with the marginalized. Our church participates in a difficult ministry, but it is important here, which causes a real change in the lives of people, their families, their societies and their country. Together, employees, students and teachers, class according to the class, we build a better future for all.

Education as a key to development

History of the Catholic University in South Sudan

South Sudan is the “latest” country in the world, and therefore, the important work has just started. The university started its work in 2019, when it occupied a local secondary educational school, before moving to its current location, at an incomplete youth center. It is a university in the afternoon, with intense classes, which allow students to win a salary for them and their families in the morning. The annual fees for students are low, only $ 120 for the entire year, and are designed to enhance a great commitment of students. Given the volatility of the economy and the high rate of bad health, we have always been flexible in this issue.

Currently, we offer three degrees, with the aim of strengthening both the local economy and the national education system. This is:

Bachelor of Business Administration and Management,

Bachelor of English Education and English Literature,

Bachelor of Trade, Religious Education and Citizenship.

All of our certificates are validated by the Catholic University in East Africa, Nairobi, through the Parents’ campus at the Catholic University of South Sudan, Juba.

* We appreciate the cooperation of the Javier Trapero, which is re -distinguishing from the Bible Communications Office, for photographic materials for this post.