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.

*Please note this podcast episode addresses themes of sexual and gender-based violence, which may be upsetting or triggering for listeners*

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sexual and gender-based violence is rife and often used as a weapon of war.

SCIAF are the official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in Scotland and have been working in the DRC since 2001, supporting women and girls who have been affected by sexual and gender-based violence.

In our latest podcast episode, we spoke to Louise Joyce, lead for the UK Aid Match programme at SCIAF and Thérèse Mema Mapenzi, Director of Centre Olame in the DRC (SCIAF’s partner) about their recently completed UK Aid Match project.

During this episode Louise and Thérèse share SCIAF’s six-pillar approach to sexual and gender-based violence which includes supporting survivors with medical care, trauma counselling and legal support, as well as looking at ways to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in the future. We also hear from Rachel Mwinja Nyakadekere, Community Animator at Centre Olame, who reads out a story from a survivor who has established her own sewing business, and a story from a participant in the project who has become a role model for positive change in her community.

Listen in to the podcast episode to learn how SCIAF implemented their six-pillar approach, how they challenged harmful gender and social norms, and their key learnings and reflections for other organisations who are thinking of working with survivors.

Extract from podcast

“So as part of our six pillar of prevention, we trained youth, local and mixed-faith leaders, and they became key influencers for change at the individual household and societal level amongst their peers and within their community structures. The training covered theoretical and practical aspects of leadership, human rights, as well as promoting gender equality and positive masculinity. It’s very important to include men and boys who are part of the solution.”

Listen to the podcast in full on YouTube.

SCIAF (The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund) is improving the lives of children with disabilities, their families and their communities through a three-year UK Aid Match project, Children Together.

This is Cicilia from Mundri in South Sudan and she has six siblings. When she was nine, she began to experience pain in her knees and over time both of her legs weakened. This meant that she was forced to drop out of school. Some years later she was also diagnosed with epilepsy and suffered multiple seizures a day. The medicine needed to stop her seizures was not available at the local hospital, and could only be accessed at a private clinic far from her home. Cicilia’s disability became more severe over the years, resulting in her being unable to walk or stand. She had no way to get around.

In South Sudan, getting to school can be a real challenge. Long distances, a lack of infrastructure, and flooding from heavy rains can make the journey to school dangerous – and sometimes impossible – for young people. For young people with disabilities, school is often not an option at all.

Through SCIAF’s Children Together project, match funded by UK Aid Match, SCIAF is helping young people like Cicilia to get back in the classroom.

Run by their local partner Sudan Evangelical Mission (SEM), the project is working to adapt six schools to be more accessible for children with disabilities by building ramps and training teachers in how to deliver lessons that are inclusive. Young people are receiving aids such as wheelchairs, tricycles and canes so they can move around, and healthcare they may need to be well enough to attend school.

For Cicilia, this means she now has medicine to help with her epilepsy – now only having roughly one seizure a month – and has a tricycle which allows her to get around to attend activities in her community. To get to school, Cicilia has to cross a stream in her area and her community have come together to create a small bridge over the stream for her to travel over. With these tools and support, Cicilia is set to start school this month.

Find out more about the project on SCIAF’s Children Together project page.

Photo credit: SCIAF