Today, we mark the one-year anniversary of the ongoing civil war in Sudan. While often overlooked, the war that started on 15th April 2023 aligns with the more prominent, global conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Gaza, and it is worth reminding ourselves that wars have a lasting impact that goes way beyond the immediate time and place of the conflict. One of the biggest areas that suffers during these conflicts is children and their education, which is crucial for societies to move forward and for people to have better lives.

ASEP aims to provide adult teachers and other individuals who have completed primary education but couldn't continue to secondary level, an opportunity to complete their secondary education in an accelerated manner.

ASEP classes are taught by existing secondary school teachers and are typically conducted on weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings. The program is designed to serve unqualified teachers currently teaching in primary schools, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable women, especially mothers.

WTI’s latest report evaluates the success of ASEP and looks for areas to improve

Over the last twenty years there has been a significant and sustained increase in school enrolment at both primary and secondary levels across sub-Saharan Africa, including in Sudan and South Sudan where WTI works. While the strides in increasing school enrollment are worth celebrating, these achievements mark just the beginning of a larger journey towards holistic education. It is becoming increasingly clear that the attendance at school does not necessarily equate to effective learning.

The under representation of women in the teaching profession is an alarming issue in South Sudan’s teaching profession. Without female teachers, students lack female role models in schools, diversity of perspectives is limited, and girls are often unable to see the value of educating themselves. Windle Trust International’s Female Teacher Training Scholarship Programme is an excellent example of how organisations can support the education of girls and women in developing countries.

Why is it important for South Sudan to prioritise the education of women and girls? Former Minister for Education for the Republic of South Sudan, Deng Yai, explains.

NGOs, charities, and humanitarian agencies that work in fragile states and conflict zones almost universally operate on the principle that they’re benefitting the people and societies with whom they work. Without careful management, accountability, and the maintenance of strict professional standards however, there is a real risk that organisations also bring harm, particularly when it comes to safeguarding individuals.

Windle Trust International have been offering tertiary scholarships to students from East Africa for almost four decades. We boast a scholarships alumni of over 1,000 individuals and have invested millions of pounds into scholarship funding. Why do we think this is so important?

In South Sudan the quality of education is generally low, with a high percentage of students failing to meet basic learning standards. Lack of teacher training is a major contributing factor. Windle Trust International is working to change that.

Working closely with UNICEF and the Ministry of Education in South Sudan, WTI has developed an approach working closely with communities to champion education and the return to school for children and young people following Covid-19 school closures.

If we want to improve the life chances for children in conflict-affected countries, and ultimately create more peaceful societies, we must invest in teacher training.