 On World Day of Hope, the story we want to share with you is about the village of Naangere, situated in Yambio County in Western Equatoria State, in the heart of South Sudan. This small, isolated community, marked by the presence of many internally displaced people, reminds us that the future is built one step at a time, starting from the ground up. Geographical isolation and the distance from formal schools have prevented children from learning even the basics of reading and writing. This led to the launch of the Naangere basic literacy programme, a pilot project promoted by the local community, together with the parish and Solidarity with South Sudan. The beauty of this initiative lies in its deep sense of belonging: it was the villagers themselves who asked for a school, chose two local young people to train as teachers, and built the first temporary shelters to be used as classrooms with their own hands.
This collective effort is now enabling dozens of children and young people, divided into groups according to age and ability, to finally learn to read, write their own names and do simple maths, whilst also providing them with a daily meal and a safe environment in which to socialize. Naangere shows us that hope does not wait for solutions imposed from above, but flourishes wherever people decide to come together to give their children a better future. Let’s help hope to flourish.
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Date Published:12 July 2026 Author:Alice, Officer Article Tags: Latest news, South Sudan, Solidarity, Literacy, Education, Food security, Internally displaced persons, Humanitarian aid, Future, Sustainable agriculture, World Day of Hope |
