Waging war on illiteracy
Soldiers become teachers and students in SPLA's new struggle
Long after the official end of Sudan’s two-decade civil war, it’s not unusual to hear individuals addressing one another as "comrade" in some areas of Southern Sudan. The common term among former bush war fighters is still standard for men and women of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).
It’s fitting, too, because once the dust had settled following the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the SPLA realised the next frontline required different ammunition: the alphabet.
Southern Sudanese leaders are encouraging former combatants with no basic education to enroll in adult classes under the Alternative Education System (AES), a programme implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).
Selected soldiers are taking refresher courses to help them impart knowledge to fellow soldiers whose involvement in the war obliterated their chance of a formal education.
An estimated 6,000 soldiers have enrolled in the programme so far, while over one thousand others are being trained to teach their comrades.
Maker Deng Mach, a director for the SPLA education programme, said literacy is a vital tool to help people rebuild their lives after the trauma of civil war.
"Those attending should be able to replicate what they learn in order to teach and benefit their fellow soldiers."
"This training is like the one in the battlefield," said Maker, except this time, "those attending should be able to replicate what they learn in order to teach and benefit their fellow soldiers."
The longest protracted war ever recorded in African history took a devastating toll on surviving generations. Statistics from the UN and other organisations suggest Southern Sudan’s illiteracy rate of 80% is likely the highest in the world.
In Yei River County, a two-week course opened at the Crop Training Centre to equip 140 soldiers with basic skills from Eastern, Central and Western Equatoria States to work as teachers under the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP).
Not far from their barracks and military posts, soldiers gather at chalk boards under the trees to attend English and math classes taught by their comrades.
One of the participants is Marko Bol Kuot, an Administrator at Division 6 of the SPLA Joint Integrated Units (JIU) based in Juba, where the programme is also underway.
"We were teachers without opportunity. This training will help me as a soldier and an efficient teacher of my colleagues," Kout said.
Stressing that progress is impossible without education, Elias Wai Wai, the County Commissioner for Yei, urged participants to bring about positive change in their respective communities after the training.
The ALP is supported by GoSS development partners that include Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council and UNICEF.
Simon Peter Mading, an SPLA Lance Corporal who started the ALP’s intensive English course last year, proudly announced he has begun to read and write some English words. "I can listen to the language when other people talk," he said.
Kuol Atem Bol, head of the Alternative Education System in the GoSS Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, said the training offers a measure of compensation from the government for soldiers who sacrificed their time and energy in the liberation of Southern Sudan.
He urged communities to embrace adult education programmes that could boost the literacy rate to at least 50% in the next few years. Education of girl children is another component of the initiative.
"Education has no age limit," he said. "Politicians should join the fight against illiteracy through the promotion of education because of the influence they have in the community."
