Importance of Educating Orphans
Written by Rev. Jacob Nhial Guut
Wonderful people have stretched their hands thousands of miles from where they are reaching out to needy children in the world and giving them the most precious thing in the world that is education. It’s much appreciation from me for the effort you are making to reach these orphan children here in Kenya. These children have come along way from their villages in Southern Sudan around Jonglei State. It’s such a wonderful heart the action of giving these children since these people don’t expect anything in return from these children in future.
Education is the key to a good life. It gives one hope that, after completing the recommended phase, one will live a good life and afford the basic needs in life.
Generally, education starts at a very young age, where children learn to develop and use their mental, moral and physical powers. Thenit’s refined by the basic education given to children in formal schools. Education is commonly referred to as the process of learning and obtaining knowledge at school, in a form of formal education.
However, the process of education does not only start when a child first attends school. Education begins at home. One does not only acquire knowledge from a teacher, one can acquire and receive knowledge from a parent, family member and even an acquaintance. And, this is the point where the orphaned children miss out. Children without parents catering to education are usually unfortunate and are affected since they don’t strive for a better their future. For instance, many orphans children from Southern Sudan who lost their parents during the long civil war that took away their parents life, have no formal schools to attend. Even though peace has come, those children who have parents are being taken to schools. But it is difficult for the orphaned child to join bush schools that are under trees in the villages.
An orphaned child is usually an already traumatized child, psychologically due to the loss of parents and needs to be handled with care. One way of helping this child to live for a better normal life, is by first ensuring he gets the basic things like food, shelter, clothing then followed by the vital education. When this child is given education, he feels secure and aims at improving his life.
Initially, in the Sudanese culture, especially the Dinka (that was before the war), formal education was not important and we as a community didn’t value. But a few people knew the importance of education and they pursued it and eventually they are the ones who saved us. For example the late John Garang formed the movement which brought peace to Southern Sudan and when children got to age 5 – 6 years they were sent to the field to herd cattle’s in cattle camps (wut) and from there on, they used to be herds people. But after this civil war many people were displaced and many escaped to different countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda , America , Australia and Canada and people got enlightened and they acknowledged and embraced the importance of education.
Currently, the South Sudanese people are struggling to get more and more formal education after the peace deal. Unfortunately, many children lost their parents and guardians. These orphaned children are at a disadvantage when it comes to this matter of education since they have nobody to rely on to cater for their education. There is no system yet which has been developed or put in place by the Sudanese country to cater for the education of the orphans, so they mostly relay on donors and well-wishers to cater for their living expenses and especially education.
But no matter what, education is the key that allows people to move up in the world, seek jobs and ultimately succeed fully in life. Education is very important and no one should be deprived of it. Whether an orphan or any other person in life.
We want to put a smile on the faces of these orphans and give them hope of a better future. We cater for the education of these orphaned children and we hope to assist more and more in accessing education in future. These orphans are located in Nakuru & Kapenguria.
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