Over 250 students trained on comprehensive sexuality

By Kitab Unango

More than 250 students received comprehensive sexuality education on Friday in a bid to mitigate the high rate of early marriages and school dropout in Juba.

The students who are adolescents aged between 14 and 20 years old, received skills on prevention of HIV/AIDS and pregnancy.

“I was not aware of some of the things I have learnt here today, especially on how to maintain self-positive values at home and in public,” said Nyawed Jackino, a senior four student of Bright Bomas Secondary School.

Nyawed, 17, encouraged all school going students to maintain positive self-esteem and concentrate on studies for the better future of South Sudan.

 Another beneficiary Joseph Aduei Joke, a student of Peace Secondary School, said the skills will help him to forego things that have potential to disrupt his studies.

“There are things that we as students should not indulge in,” said Aduei.

 “We need to avoid peer pressure habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, and put aside thoughts to get married before completing education,” he added.

The students who attended the training are from Big Ben, Mandela Mixed Secondary, Gold Future, Peace Secondary and Bright Bomas Secondary.

The traing was conducted by Amref Health Africa, with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Modong Manuela, Amref Health Projet Manager, said comprehensive sexuality education would retain students in school and help mitigate early pregnancies and marriages.

She said the project aims to advocate for sexuality education to be incorporated into South Sudan school curriculum.