South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
Ethiopia is using the provision of education for South Sudanese students through scholarships to help transform its human resources and as well the economy, the Ethiopian Ambassador to South Sudan, Nebil Mahdi Abdullahi said.
South Sudan and Ethiopia agreed in November 2022 to the scholarship plans and now about 94 South Sudanese students have gone to undertake technical vocational training (TVT) in various fields at Ethiopia’s prestigious university, Ambassador Mahdi said at a farewell party organized for departing students at the Ethiopian Embassy in Juba.
“Ethiopia is sharing what it has even though Ethiopia is not a developed country, Ethiopia is still committed to sharing and supporting South Sudanese on what Ethiopia have especially on the development of human resources,” Mahdi said.
The students will specialize in engineering, infrastructure, mechanics, building, electricity, and catering among others.
Amb. Mahdi said the scholarship offered by the Ethiopian government will play a key role in fixing the South Sudanese labour market.
“We have facilitated more than 300 scholarships as per MoU agreement starting from last year and every year we are facilitating farewell to 250 students in addition to 250 specialists from the medical field,” he said.
Since independence, South Sudan has been cooperating with Ethiopia in the field of education where thousands of students were sponsored to study various courses in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian government offers undergraduate, postgraduate, technical, vocational, and PhD programs to South Sudanese students.
On November 22, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia increased the number of scholarships for South Sudanese students from 100 to 150.
Previously, Ethiopia provided scholarships for both postgraduate and undergraduate students and also provided Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET) for 60 students.
For his part, Dr. Atem Kuir, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education encouraged the students to commit themselves to their studies and acquire knowledge that can be applied to build the country.
“Your friends will always be books, you acquaint yourself with books and your colleagues among you and if you acquaint yourself with books, you will succeed and do your work always, either assignment or writing essays or making research and you will succeed,” Kuir said.
Dr. Kuir urged the students to stay out of trouble by abiding by the rules and regulations of Ethiopia.
“And as a new person to a new place like the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Ethiopia is a good country, is not like other countries in the region, they are law-abiding people,” he said.
“But if you take behaviours which are happening in the region here to Ethiopia then you will contradict the laws of Ethiopia, so always follow the laws of Ethiopia.”
He encouraged them to build good relationships with Ethiopian people as well as make good use of their time in Ethiopia to learn skills and knowledge.
Meanwhile, Majak Tut, who spoke on behalf of students, encouraged his fellow students to change the narrative of seeking white-collar jobs.
“Here in South Sudan, the education system taught us differently, it teaches us to search for white collar jobs where you sit in the office and wait for monthly salary and it doesn’t teach you technically,” Tut said.
Tut advised his fellow students to acquire skills which will help them to create jobs for themselves.
“From P-1 to P-4 you are taught to go and sit in the office and look for government jobs and especially NGO jobs and that is what’s in the mind of every South Sudanese here.”
Wiyual Gatkuoth Changath, parent representative said “For you people once you are there, you in your mind that you are not only coming with a certificate, you are going to bring knowledge of developing South Sudan to be like any other country.”
