Guliba Florence Hakim
Coordinator South Sudan
â–º Email
Project Number: 179.1015
South Sudanese society is to be united, conflicts must be resolved and peaceful coexistence must be shaped. Education is an important element in advancing the peace process in South Sudan. The Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS), a partner church of Mission 21, operates the Nile Theological College (NTC) as an educational institution and thus makes a contribution. It offers comprehensive theological education that reflects on pressing social issues and develops possible solutions.
Churches and pastors play an important role in South Sudan. This is partly due to historical reasons, as they have offered social services and humanitarian aid in the past. Their importance is still great. Against the backdrop of the recent violent conflicts in South Sudan, the church faces a particular challenge.
Mission 21 and its partner church PCOSS are convinced that faith can play a central role in development and peace in the country. High-quality theological education and training is a key element in this. The PCOSS therefore considers the promotion of its theological training center, the Nile Theological College (NTC), to be one of its central tasks. After graduation, pastors take on a pioneering role in their communities and make a significant contribution to social change. They also play an important role in the reconciliation and peace process. The Nile Theological College, originally founded in Khartoum (Sudan) in 1992, offers teaching at university level. It is officially recognized by the government and is open to students of all South Sudanese denominations. The NTC not only trains leaders for churches, but also teachers.
Training in theology teaches biblical ethics and thus contributes to peaceful coexistence in the war-torn country. Nile Theological College offers a strong peace-building component in addition to theological education. Graduates will hold important positions in the church and community, expected to engage with social issues in a critical and reflective manner.
The Nile Theological College is open to members of all South Sudanese churches. Scholarships are awarded primarily to female students.
How does one conduct university theological education in a country in the midst of war? This is a question that those responsible at the NTC have had to ask themselves again and again in recent years. The introduction of a new course in social ethics has proven to be a trend-setter. The course addresses the country's current serious problems and provides strategies for solutions and action. In this way, the church is trying to live up to its social responsibility and provide adequately trained leaders.
In recent years, the NTC has been able to re-establish itself in the capital Juba after fleeing the city of Malakal. While only 18 students (none female) were enrolled in 2015, 142 students (including 18 female students) were enrolled in 2023. In 2023, 140 students were enrolled and 26 successfully completed their Bachelor's degree (including 8 women). NTC was able to move to a larger building at the beginning of 2020 and thus work more efficiently. Mission 21's internet service helps students with their research and simplifies communication with employees. Due to the political unrest in Sudan in April 2023, there is an influx of students seeking high-quality theological education in South Sudan. The number of evening students has increased from 47 to 75, exacerbating capacity issues. The college has adapted to the difficult situation in cooperation with local churches: thanks to a new lecture hall and 30 new benches, there is room for more students. New partnerships have made it possible to support the students' meals.
CHF 34'500
Mission 21
Protestant Mission Basel
PO Box 270
Missionsstrasse 21
4009 Basel, Switzerland
Tel.: +41 (0)61 260 21 20
info@mission-21.org
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IBAN: CH58 0900 0000 4072 6233 2
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Savings Bank Lörrach-Rheinfelden
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BLZ: 683 500 48
IBAN: DE39 6835 0048 0001 0323 33
Account No. : 1032333