“My name is Irene Florence. I am 24 years old. I come from Yei, in Central Equatoria State. I completed my primary school in Mahad from 2008 to 2014. From 2015 the war broke out in South Sudan, and my family escaped to a refugee camp in Uganda.
I joined the secondary school in 2018 and I completed in 2022. At this time I had a difficulty in pursuing my further studies as I had no family support. I grew up with a single parent, my mother, as my father died during the war. I had to find work to support my mother inorder to look after my siblings and provide for their basic needs. Its then that I decided to travel to Juba, the capital city, in search of work and sustenance for myself and my siblings. While in Juba I met a friend who had graduated from Solidarity Teacher Training College (STTC) in Yambio. He narrated very exciting and attractive experiences which awakened in me the desire to get a similar training and experience. I expressed my desire to him and he connected me to the College administration where I followed the registration process. I feel very proud and fortunate to be part of this esteemed Institution which moulds young people into professional teachers for South Sudan, our young and troubled Nation. My appreciation goes to the many friends and donors working with Solidarity with South Sudan for their support in helping those who are vulnerable and less fortunate in society. STTC is training us to become the agents of change in our country as professional teachers. The knowledge and skills I get from here empower me to become a role model and an agent of change in my own community and village. STTC is a special Institute that recruits students from different parts of South Sudan and creates peace and unity among the students thus contributing to the wider development and growth of the country. It promotes gender equality and a sense of belonging. Solidarity has an inclusive environment and well-structured buildings for learning. Its vision and mission embraces all young people like me and promotes an integral development of the professional role thus enabling the young teachers to go back to their own realities, to evoke the needed change, to provide quality education to future generations. It is my wish that many young people will seek the same opportunity and make a difference to the lives of those around us especially the younger children at school. I’m grateful!” Irene Florence, First-year student at STTC Pre-service Certificate Course June 2024 |
Date Published:5 July 2024 Author:STTC team
Article Tags: Latest news, South Sudan, Solidarity, Teacher training, Life stories |