Türkiye's TIKA donates chairs, desks to rural school in South Sudan

Students at a rural school in South Sudan no longer have to sit on rocks to attend classes thanks to a donation of 150 desks and chairs from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) delivered on Tuesday.

TIKA coordinator in the African country, Abdullah Sari, said the agency had provided 150 desks and chairs to help the learners lacking classroom furniture at the Global Nursery and Primary School in the countryside of the capital, Juba.

At the handover event, Sari said: “I am happy to be here and cooperating with Global Nursery and Primary School. I am also thankful to the Turkish ambassador for supporting the project, and I’m hoping for the best in the future in supporting more children.”

Turkish Ambassador to South Sudan Erdem Mutaf also spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of education.

“The Turkish Embassy’s priority is child care, education and women’s empowerment. We have been supporting various schools and will continue to do so. The delivery of desks is an example of our educational support project, which we hope to increase step-by-step in the period ahead, as we are trying to create a conducive environment for the schools,” he said.

He stressed that education for children is crucial for the future. “When you support women and children, you support society. This project is vital to us and we will do our best to accomplish more.”

The headteacher of the school, William Wol, said most of the students who are enrolled in the school are children of martyrs, and they are in dire need of support.

He expressed his gratitude by saying: “We greatly appreciate the donation of the Turkish government and its people. It has not been easy for us to acquire the necessary educational supplies for the students.

“Since the opening of the school, we have not had any necessary school supplies. The children used stones as chairs, which were too hot for them to sit on, causing concentration problems in most students. We now have desks and chairs and I appreciate the support of the Turkish government and TIKA in providing these necessary classroom furniture and supplies.”

He said that 396 children will benefit from the donation of the Turkish state-run aid agency.

Rita Kiden Benjamin, one of the students, said that it was difficult for the schools to provide them with chairs, so they were sitting on the stones, and others were sitting on the floor.

“I appreciate the efforts of the Turkish government for providing us with these chairs and desks and it has not been easy for us not to have them. We spent years sitting on stones, and finally, we were rescued by the Turkish people, who are good human beings,” she expressed.