Kush
Education

"Give a person a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a person to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

This Chinese proverb has a very profound meaning that implies investing in a person’s life can improve his or her situation. By simply teaching life skills, a person can be equipped to face each day with a knowing that they have purpose. Education is Power; and Kush can help empower one so that they can empower others.

Economic barriers1 range from a shrinking national education budget to school fees. These barriers create an additional burden on families who require their children to help with the household. In some cases, children are either forced to work or even get married in order to sustain a family’s livelihood. As with the lure of money many children prefer to work instead of attending school.

When it comes to cultural barriers1, this is mainly driven by attitudes and traditions about the role of girls. Most families feel that girls have a duty to the family first and are looked upon as being family assets (i.e. arranged marriages) and therefore want to protect their investments. This barrier also addresses corporal punishment and gender inequality.

Social barriers1 focus on a number of school-based attitudes towards sexual harassment, early pregnancy and child-to-child violence. Also, there is a lack of social programs and support services designed to help children affected by trauma.

At the local administration level, there are an inadequate number of teachers (few of whom are qualified) and other human resource limitations. That includes support for supervisors, training for teachers, shortages and high turnover rates, gender disparities, lack of ethics and poor teaching conditions. Finally, most of the schools are in a deplorable state. Most schools are lacking supplies, proper classrooms, recreational facilities, washrooms, clean water and sanitation resources. Also, most schools are situated far from health facilities and many students must travel great distances to attend class. Kush is focused on helping children, students and adults through initiatives like early childhood education, blacksmith and sewing classes, microeconomic and health education.



How?

1. Build schools in phases to include classrooms, library, school yard and adult education facilities.

2. Provide meals to students to encourage enrollment and improve attendance.

3. Recruit teachers from local communities and neighboring countries.

1 According to UNICEF there are a number of barriers that prevent proper schooling.

Imagine for a moment that your loved one was sick. Would you have access to medication and or a doctor? Would you have someone to take care of your loved one?

According to WHO - All of the health facilities assessed in South Sudan are in a deplorable state. The buildings and other structures are in dire need of rehabilitations.

KUSH strives to help the people of Southern Sudan by building healthy communities that are self-sufficient in three areas:

1. Improved education

2. Accessible Health Care

3. Clean Drinking Water