TITI Foundation Supports School Dropouts in Torit with Scholastic Materials

Learners, teachers and titi foundation officials for group photo after the school materials distribution

By Kidega Livingstone

More than 90 refugee, returnee, internally displaced, and host community youths in Torit have received scholastic materials from TITI Foundation to support their return to school through an alternative secondary education programme.

The beneficiaries, both female and male learners, were presented with school bags, exercise books, pens, gumboots, solar lights, and raincoats. The support is aimed at helping young people who dropped out of school due to early marriage, teenage pregnancy, conflict, displacement, and economic hardship.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday at Dr. John Garang Memorial Secondary School in Torit, TITI Foundation’s Technical Lead for Education, Alima Kemisa, said the initiative is part of the Pathways to Empowerment for Youth in South Sudan project, a six-year education, skills development, and protection programme funded by the Mastercard Foundation.

Kemisa said the project is being implemented in 14 locations across seven states in South Sudan. In Eastern Equatoria State, it covers Torit, Magwi, and Nimule.

“The project targets 70 percent female learners and 30 percent male learners, focusing on refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons, and vulnerable youth from host communities who dropped out of formal education because of early marriage, teenage pregnancy, conflict, and economic challenges,” she said.

She explained that the programme offers an accelerated secondary education model in which the traditional four-year secondary curriculum is condensed into two years. Level Five covers Senior One and Senior Two, while Level Six covers Senior Three and Senior Four.

Classes are conducted in the afternoon from midday until 5:00 p.m., allowing learners to balance education with family and livelihood responsibilities.

Kemisa noted that the programme is implemented in government and community secondary schools, where teachers on the government payroll deliver the lessons in line with the project’s implementation guidelines.

The Headmistress of Dr. John Garang Memorial Secondary School, Awadia Doreen Suher, welcomed the initiative, describing it as a life-changing opportunity, particularly for young mothers and girls who had abandoned school because of family responsibilities.

“This project gives many girls a second chance to complete their education. They do not have to worry about school fees, uniforms, or buying books because TITI Foundation provides the necessary learning materials free of charge,” she said.

She added that the programme primarily targets secondary school dropouts while also accommodating eligible learners from neighbouring countries who meet the admission criteria.

One of the beneficiaries, Julia Abau, expressed gratitude after receiving the learning materials, saying the school bag and exercise books would ease the financial burden on her family.

“I am very happy to receive these materials. Many learners struggle to buy school supplies because of the current economic situation, so this support will help us continue our education,” she said.

Another learner, Nice Peace, who is enrolled in Level Five, said the raincoat and gumboots were particularly useful during the current rainy season.

“These items will make it easier for us to travel to school despite the rains. They will also help us protect our children and ourselves during the wet season,” she said.

The distribution comes as many communities in South Sudan continue to face barriers to education, including poverty, displacement, insecurity, and harmful social practices such as early marriage. Humanitarian and development organizations have increasingly promoted accelerated learning programmes to help out-of-school youth complete their education and improve their employment prospects.

TITI Foundation is a nationally recognized women-led non-governmental organization founded by South Sudanese professionals. Its name—Together in Transformational Initiatives (TITI)—reflects its commitment to promoting education, peace, gender equality, and sustainable development across South Sudan. Through its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the organization aims to empower vulnerable young people with education and life skills that enable them to build productive and resilient futures.