Adult education for shaping the future

Background information

South Sudan has been facing huge challenges since independence in 2011 and the ensuing armed conflicts. South Sudanese society must be united and shaped, the existing fault lines must be dealt with and ethnic differences must be overcome. Only in this way can the young country be successfully rebuilt. Vocational training and further education are essential for the development of the country's future. With the collapse of the economy and in view of the end of the war in South Sudan, well-trained personnel are needed at all levels to rebuild the country.

The church must and will make a decisive contribution to this by training people and contributing to vocational training. This is done, for example, in the "Giffen Institute" in the Kakuma IDP camp in northern Kenya. Part of the work is psychosocial support and peacebuilding. Urgent problems in the country are addressed. Graduates are able to play a significant role in the leadership of church congregations. In addition, they can take on important tasks in their living and working environment, support themselves with practical work or even offer work to others.

Project goals

In addition to basic education, the Giffen Institute offers training in practical work combined with Christian values. For example, carpentry skills are taught. Business skills are also included in the curriculum. In addition to technical knowledge, interpersonal skills and peace and reconciliation work are not neglected. Thanks to the training at the Giffen Institute, students and graduates are able to deal with social problems in a critical and reflective manner. 

Graduates bring the skills they have acquired to their church. They also have a reflective view of the conflict in their country and can help develop solutions to the most pressing problems in their communities.

Target group

The main target group is South Sudanese IDPs in the Kakuma IDP camp in Kenya.

Activities

• Basic education in mathematics, sociology and English
• Library and computer room for research
• Trainings in peacebuilding (including trauma and reconciliation work).
• Education on communicable diseases
• Lessons in carpentry work
• Scholarships for female students
• English courses

Project progress

In September 2015, the Giffen Institute was able to resume teaching in the Kakuma IDP camp in northern Kenya after fleeing the South Sudanese city of Malakal. The "Giffen Institute" caters to the needs of the residents of the IDP camp in its teaching program.

After a new building was built, this has now been expanded to include a computer room for research. Newer technologies are becoming increasingly important and the female students should also benefit from them. This came just at the right time. Thanks to the switch to IT, many courses could be held online during the lockdown in Kenya (all schools were closed until October due to the pandemic). This prevented the students from losing a year.