Inclusive education: How SCIAF are empowering girls and supporting young people with disabilities in South Sudan

For the past three-years SCIAF (Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund), have been supporting young people with disabilities in South Sudan, ensuring they are able to access the education they deserve, challenging negative stereotypes around gender and disability and improving inclusivity within schools and communities.

Accessing inclusive learning

In South Sudan, young people must be able to meet certain personal care requirements before they are allowed to start school – things like using the toilet independently or dressing themselves. For many young people with disabilities, tasks like these can be extremely difficult. This alongside the limited knowledge and tools available around inclusive, accessible learning means they are less likely to attend school.  

But with funds raised through their WEE Box appeal in 2019, SCIAF, alongside their partner Sudan Evangelical Mission (SEM) have been nurturing change in communities. 

Through the project, dedicated support workers have been trained to assist children and their families to identify and meet their basic care needs. These workers provide encouragement and care, and tailor skills plans so they can become more independent and confident.

To ensure schools are accessible the project has repaired classrooms and installed ramps and desks. Children with additional needs have been provided with braille materials and audio tapes so they can join in lessons with their peers, and community members, students and teachers have been trained in sign-language and inclusive education practices.

Several new ‘school clubs’ have been established in six focus schools too. These include debating teams, gardening groups, football clubs and health clubs, creating a fun and social learning environment where children of all ages and abilities can participate together. These clubs not only boost the confidence of young people with disabilities, but reshape how inclusive education is understood and embraced in the wider community.

Photograph: Students at one of the schools

Empowering girls

The project has also been empowering girls through menstrual health education and access to reusable menstrual products. In South Sudan, many girls miss school every month because of their periods. This is due to limited funds to buy menstrual products, and a lack of private and secure facilities at school to manage their periods. These monthly disruptions can have a lasting impact on their education, confidence, and future opportunities.

The menstrual pads provided are made from reusable materials making them a cost-effective and sustainable options for girls and their families. They are made locally so production creates paid work and income for tailoring businesses.

In addition to this practical approach, the project has been challenging social norms and stigma. Workshops run by local partners have raised awareness about periods and reproductive health, encouraging open conversations with students, parents, teachers, and community leaders. These efforts support girls to stay in school, while contributing to long-term behaviour change, where menstruation can be talked about openly between girls and boys, their families and the community.

“The sanitary pads and soap have allowed me to stay in school too. We used to buy menstrual products from the market – but when there was no money, it meant that I missed school due to my periods.” Vaida, 20 years old.

Stories of change

12 year old Malia has been living with hydrocephalus – a build-up of excessive fluid in the brain – since she was a baby, which has made her life extremely difficult. But with support from the project, Malia was able to access emergency medical treatment which has transformed her life. Malia now has access to further medical check-ups to keep an eye on her condition, and she has been encouraged through the project to attend school which in turn is building her self-esteem and confidence. “I am in primary school and – when I’m older – I would like to become a doctor. I feel happy going to school and reading my books because I know I will have a bright future, in spite of my disability.”

Photograph: Malia at home

As Vaida was growing up, walking became difficult. She couldn’t move around freely like other children and needed to be carried which left her feeling like a burden. With support from SEM, Vaida now has a tricycle and an elbow crutch so she can travel longer distances, such as to school, church and the market. SEM staff also visit her regularly to check on her progress and do physiotherapy on her legs. Vaida now has more freedom and doesn’t have to rely on others to get around.

Photograph: Vaida at home

Through this human-centred approach SCIAF’s support is ensuring girls and young people with disabilities have equal opportunities to attend school and thrive towards the futures they deserve. 

Find out more about SCIAF and the project on their website.

In May, the UK Aid Match team travelled to Nepal to visit grant holders and their delivery partners – EMMS International, PHASE Worldwide, Practical Action, United World Schools and WaterAid.

The visits were an opportunity to deepen our understanding of project progress and challenges and to offer support, for example, with safeguarding, reporting expectations, and financial management.

Below is a brief summary of the visits:

EMMS International are supporting people with holistic palliative care through cost-effective and sustainable health and social care services, and empowering family members and groups to provide support, improved healthcare and engender more caring societies.

Our team visited the Palliative Care Centre of Excellence based at the Green Pastures Hospital (GPH) in Pokhara. Here they observed remote mentoring sessions for the Palliative Care Doctors and Community Educators, through the ECHO tele-mentoring system (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), a crucial forum for shared learning, identification of new palliative care patients and improving quality of patient care.

Visiting one of the rural health posts, our team met Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHV) who highlighted the growing awareness and value placed on palliative care as a holistic approach, which is a significant achievement in a country where the concept of palliative care is still very new.

Photograph: EMMS International, their delivery team and UK Aid Match team members Emma and Bridget outside one of the hospitals

PHASE Worldwide are improving maternal health and reducing malnutrition for 1,000 women and their children in Bajura, Far West of Nepal. This is a difficult location to access, requiring a seven-hour drive on rough terrain, followed by a seven-hour hike, which the Phase team undertake often as part of their work. The region is also prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides, and these can severely impact delivery of healthcare services.

Despite the contextual challenges and remoteness of the project PHASE is meeting and surpassing many of its project goals, and it was great to discuss this with them. The team has delivered safe motherhood training to 891 women and is seeing increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding as a result (amongst other changes). The project also supports a range of agricultural skills training to help increase food production and dietary diversification for pregnant women and new mothers.

Photograph: A mother feeding her child a nutritious meal

Practical Action are working with women and marginalised groups in three rural districts in Nepal to build climate adaptive farming opportunities and improve livelihoods. 

Having visited some of the project sites previously (in 2022), our team utilised this second visit to meet Practical Action project staff in their offices in Kathmandu. The project team shared updates and explored ways to further communicate the positive impacts of the project as it moves into its final stages.  

The project has improved water access through innovative solar-powered irrigation systems, and has helped establish climate field schools which provide farmers with training on commercial vegetable farming, agroecology and regenerative agricultural practices. Some of the climate schools have introduced labour-saving devices such as electric corn shellers and farm rakes, helping women feel more empowered as they save valuable time and labour.

The project also has strong connections with district and regional private sector actors and traders which is a significant strength of the design. These linkages will be crucial for ensuring sustainability as the project comes to an end.

Practical Action are sharing more about this project at the COP29 talks in November, using it as a working example of how to achieve systematic change at scale.

United World Schools (UWS) are supporting children to enrol and stay in school in remote regions of Nepal, while developing education facilities, school management structures and supporting teacher employment and training.

During the visit it was clear that the positive collaboration between local government stakeholders (education offices) and the UWS team is a key strength of the project and the broader work of UWS, helping facilitate innovative educational initiatives.

The school communities appeared vibrant and supportive, with strong engagement from mothers, School Management Committees (SMCs), and Student Representative Councils (SRCs). These groups play a pivotal role in fostering a positive learning environment and nurturing the holistic development of students. The investment in infrastructure was also evident, with well-maintained school buildings, well-equipped classrooms, and productive teacher spaces, all contributing to an enriching educational experience.

Photograph: Members of our team visiting UWS Koksha School, Tumlingtar

WaterAid is enhancing the quality of learning environments for adolescent girls and children with disabilities in targeted schools of Bardiya. They are collaborating with schools, the broader community and authorities to improve access to sustainable, inclusive WASH services and menstrual health.

While the project experienced some delays in its first year, it was encouraging to learn about the progress being made and the positive direction of activities. The team highlighted that good coordination is developing with key stakeholders, such as The Ministry of Education. Menstrual health awareness training for teachers and local government staff has also started.

In the coming period, the project plans to install a new school water system, including a deep borehole, a water pump with bio sand filters, and dedicated handwashing and drinking stations.

Photograph: Sandhya, a participant in the project

A thank you

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the organisations and individuals involved with these visits. We really appreciated all your time and continued hard work.