Ghanaian soldiers reach out to South Sudanese Secondary School

Students of the Aweil National Secondary School, in South Sudan are receiving free tuition from a Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) team of the Ghana Independent Infantry Company 1 (GHANCOY 1).

The military team which formed part of a complete Ghana Armed Forces Unit deployed in Aweil for peacekeeping, is collaborating with the Relief, Rehabilitation and Protection (RRP) Department of United Nations Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS) Aweil Field Office in an outreach teaching programme at the only government secondary school in the area. 

Aweil, which is the capital of the Aweil State in South Sudan, has a population of about 6000 with its people mainly involved in farming.

According to the Press and Information Officer (PIO) of GHANCOY 1, Captain Maxwell M. Asola-Fadola, the teaching programme was targeted at the form three and four students especially in English Language, Mathematics and Christian Religious Education

This is in line with CIMIC’s mission to impact the lives of South Sudanese as a way of winning their hearts and minds, Captain Asola-Fadola said.

He added that the team was tasked to undertake certain activities within its area of operations such as cleanup exercises, medical outreach to achieve the outmost goal of peacekeeping.

According to him,  Lt Col Felix Kweku Mautsueni, Commander of GHANCOY 1, having realised the potentials of some of the Officers of his Company, factored teaching into his CIMIC agenda to help prepare the final year students especially, for their final examination to be held in December 2019. 

Mr Philip Upathio, Headmaster of the School, stated that since its opening in 2010, the school had faced a lot of challenges especially food related, leading to donors such as the World Food Programme (WFP) coming to their aid.

The headmaster, he added, was intrigued about having soldiers from Ghana volunteering to offer free teaching to the students. 

He also appealed for the presentation of text books, writing and learning materials, stationeries among others to aid teaching and learning. 

The team led by Capt. Asola-Fadola with Capt. B Danquah, Lt. Abdul-Rahim Yamusah and Lt. H. D. Saani informed the headmaster of the released of funds for the provision reading books and other needed materials for the school as part of the teaching outreach programme.

South Sudan, Africa’s youngest nation, gained independence from Sudan after a long bitter war but has since descended into a civil war.