South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny
The founder of Jada Jedid Nursery and Primary School and Gudele Parent Primary School has emphasized the importance of educating the male child because it’s the foundation of the nation.
“We are not against the philosophy of if you educate the girl, you educate the nation but if you educate the male child you have a foundation of the nation. Because if you can educate a female child minus ignoring a male child, how will they reason? It will be impossible for them to reason together. Let us think as South Sudanese, not all cultures from outside are good,” said Jada Jedid Tombe in an interview on Monday in Juba.
Tombe said that people need to know their culture much better than foreign cultures.
He said that he is not against girl child education, adding that he is focused more on building the foundation of the nation.
“This issue of single parents I have been in East Africa for long in Kenya and Uganda what is the reason? Why are they supporting this initiative, why are they not supporting the initiative of educating the male child what do you think? Our philosophy here is different from what the government is doing,” said Tombe.
“The national foundation is built on a male child and not a girl child, so we need to educate them together. This is what we are going to do wherever we go, we carry this position, we need to improve our culture not just borrowing other cultures which would be harmful to our own culture,” he disclosed.
Tombe warned South Sudanese against embracing foreign cultures, adding that all his schools are built on a clear philosophy.
“Maybe during the coming years, I will not be present physically but the vision has to be there to raise successors not only from the center of Equatoria but the whole of South Sudan that is why our system here is very unique,” he said.
He said that educating the male child will reduce crimes and rebellion in the country.
“The real system of South Sudan is to fight corruption and nepotism. We are the ones who are fighting corruption and nepotism. If you come to our school, there is no nepotism. We are employed here because we are kids. We know something that we can deliver to our community. This is our philosophy here. We cannot talk of nepotism and then we are carrying nepotism. This is how we are doing our things here and then we believe wherever we go we will have a positive impact, we will not work against any cultural norms,” said Tombe.
Tombe said that in his schools they embrace and respect both the female and male gender by providing them equal opportunities.
“I know who controls the media is the one who controls all people’s minds, you media houses let us work for our culture, our culture is good but you media houses prefer the culture of the whites better than our culture,” he said.
