Whilst challenges remain with our work in Sudan, we continue to support women in education within South Sudan.  Here are a couple of our students in South Sudan benefitting from the generous contributions of our wonderful donors.

Zahra Shafie Abdul Fadil
Hello, my name is Zahra Shafie Abdul Fadil. I’m a student at the University of Juba, School of Medicine, 5th year. I come from Sudan, South Darfur, Nyala. I studied at Nyala University, then I came to Juba to continue the study at the University of Juba due to the current war in Sudan. A friend at School of Business in the University of Juba told us about WEP scholarship program. We applied and were accepted. The support from WEP caters for our tuition fees, rent, textbook, course requirements and living expenses. Now I no longer worry about anything because WEP gave me a laptop for my studies. WEP also supported us to an English language course at the British Council. It is a very good course. I am at level 2. It has improved my English.
Thank you so much for the support.

Photo taken with consent

Treasure Abuor

I’m Ms. Treasure Abuor. I was in Sudan, but currently I’m in South Sudan due to the war. I was a student at AFAHD University.

I was in third year when the war broke out. Now I’m in fourth year at the University of Juba, School of Management, in the Department of Accounting and Finance. Thanks to WEP for continuing to support my Education in South Sudan. All in all, the courses are the same, but it’s really hard because the time-table is a bit hectic. With the one year, I’ve performed very well, and in my current the final year of study, I’ll do better. 

When the war broke out in Sudan, I was for exams, and the shooting began. We thought that it was a normal thing, so we ignored it. The next day we went back to school, it was the same thing, so we were told to leave the school premises or go back to the dormitories. So when we reached the dormitories, there was no access to get water, unless you stock water for yourself, but there was no way of getting water or getting food from the store, so we stayed for like a week. Later on, an individual called us, and they gave us some money from bank, which we had to divide among ourselves. He also brought for us bread and salad to eat for that time. On 22nd February 2023, which was the Ramadan holiday, so we were told to escape, but it was still difficult, since we didn’t have finances.

The University gave each of us some money, which we managed to use for our transport to Jodha at the South Sudan border. We then managed to travel to Renk country in South Sudan. In Renk, we had no place for sleeping because the population displaced by the war in Sudan was already high. We managed to sleep under the verandas of the shops. It was raining heavily, we didn’t know anyone, and we didn’t have access to water and food.

The following day, we managed to get a bus coming to Paloch town. we had accidents on the way, people died.  At Paloch it rained on us the whole day. We slept at the airport in Paloch. Some girls were raped. I was sexually harassed by a soldier. He came and held my breast and I fought back, and I was arrested. It was a very big case because they were threatening to kill me for fighting the soldier who assaulted me. I was lucky to be evacuated, a plane came, and I managed to go into that plane, and I came back to Juba. When came to Juba, my parents followed up, and they managed to get the soldier who harassed me. 

After coming here, the WEP team through Mr. Chriss tried, so hard, to find all of us. I think I was the last person to be found. But I really appreciate the fact that WEP reach out to us and supported us to continue with our studies. Most of the schemes that provided scholarships for students in Sudan were not able to follow up them up after the war. 

I really appreciate the fact that WEP is still supporting us, and we hope that since you’ve held our hand, we shall also hold other students’ hands. As an individual based, if it was not for the WEP scholarship, I think I would not be able to go to school, because I stayed home for three years after completing my secondary school examination. 

Thereafter, I managed to go to Afhad University but was struggling paying the tuition fees. Through the recommendation of one of my lecturers, the WEP team came up and enrolled me for the scholarship.  So, I really appreciate. 

Photo taken with consent

Important Update, September 2023:

Update from Sudan

The war which broke out in Khartoum on 15 April is still continuing.  After together mounting a military coup in October 2021, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) recently fell out and are now fighting each another, without regard for civilians caught in the crossfire.  Those with resources have fled abroad or to safer parts of the country, while those remaining in targeted areas are suffering from fear of violence and a breakdown in essential services. 

Prior to this crisis, Women’s Education Partnership had for 20 years provided funds to support the education (in schools, universities and literacy circles) of disadvantaged women and girls.  Some were refugees from earlier conflicts in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and South Sudan, but all our Sudanese programmes have been based in and around the twin cities of Khartoum and Omdurman.  In the current dire circumstances of the war, schools and universities are closed, and our programmes are unavoidably paused.  However, we are in touch with a substantial proportion of our 150 university students, who are now dispersed around the country.  They have asked if WEP can provide online tuition to improve their English, since this is the medium of instruction in the universities.  It is hoped that, until they are able to reopen, the universities may provide online teaching of their degree courses.  Some of our South Sudanese students in Sudan have recently returned to their home country, with the aim of joining the University of Juba.

Update from South Sudan

We have supported literacy circles in South Sudan for several years, and our university scholarship programme for disadvantaged women was relaunched when post-conflict conditions in that country allowed.  An enthusiastic medical student at Juba Institute for Health Sciences has just finished her second year, with WEP having paid for her fees, uniform and laptop.  Fourteen other women have just completed their first year, mainly studying aspects of Health Science for a degree, a diploma or a certificate at one of six institutes in or near Juba.  Of the 14 women, ten are single and four are married.  All are over 22 years of age, and two are 34 years old.  This reflects the fact that their education was disrupted by the earlier conflicts in South Sudan.  Thus, WEP is addressing those most vulnerable, as several are also orphans or have only a mother, and all have no financial support from their families.

We are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to resume our literacy and teaching programmes in Sudan, but meanwhile we continue to do our best to support our Sudanese students, and are actively expanding our role in South Sudan.

Trustees of Women’s Education Partnership

Dear friends, supporters and sponsors,

As you will know from the dreadful news, intense fighting and bombardment has broken out in Sudan between two military factions. The ongoing war is particularly intense on the streets of the nation’s capital Khartoum, where our aid staff and their families are based. There and elsewhere the violence has caused immense suffering with countless lives lost and many more injured or displaced from their homes. The effect of the war has been particularly cruel and devastating during the holy month of Ramadan.

We are very relieved to report that, at the time of writing, all our staff are safe, though some of them have been forced to flee their homes. We express our profound gratitude to all of them. They have demonstrated great presence of mind, professionalism and courage over the past days. Women’s Education Partnership has worked in Sudan for well over two decades. During this time, our Sudanese team and partners in Khartoum have weathered many storms. Nothing, however, comes anywhere close to the humanitarian tragedy now engulfing the country during this, the holiest of months in the Islamic calendar.

The work that all charities are carrying out to provide much needed assistance and support in Sudan has been jeopardised by the present conflict. As an educational charity, we are especially sad to see the disruption suffered to the education of young people as they approach the end of their academic year. All schooling has ceased and universities are closed.

We are rigorously impartial and therefore cannot comment on or engage in any discussion on the political dimensions of the current crisis. But it is abundantly clear that it is time for the two sides to come together and seek a peaceful resolution to their differences. It is only through dialogue and negotiation that lasting peace can be achieved.

Thank you for your understanding during these very difficult times.

The Trustees and volunteers of
Women’s Education Partnership

Our work in South Sudan continues and has fortunately not been affected by this crisis, so far

Please also see the excellent women’s literacy blog, link here:
https://womensliteracysudan.blog/2023/04/21/messages-from-khartoum-and-london 

Read a message from our Country Director, Mrs Neimat Issha, who wishes all our kind supporters a Joyful Ramadan 2023:

Women’s Education Partnership was delighted to be able to bring together women from all fifteen of our Khartoum literacy circles in November in a joyful retrospective tribute to International Literacy Day and the life-changing work of all our women’s literacy workers and participants.

You can see some of the highlights from the celebrations on our blog by clicking this link

The Big Give Christmas Campaign 2022

Women’s Education Partnership is delighted to announce that the Coles-Medlock Foundation will champion our charity during this year’s Christmas Challenge event promising to double our match pot fundraising to nearly £17,000.

We are a small charity run by volunteers. The Coles-Medlock Foundation support for our fundraising means a great deal to us and to the deprived women and girls in Sudan and South Sudan to whom our projects give life-changing opportunities through education.

Women’s Education Partnership thanks the Coles-Medlock Foundation for this most generous act, augmenting the pledges we have raised and giving us the opportunity to expand our work even more than we dared hope through The Big Give Christmas Campaign. 

When the Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign gets underway on 29 November – 6 December we will put up a link to enable donors to donate to  WEP through TBG so that the value of their donation will be doubled.

Sudan witnessed heavy rains and floods 2021 which affected the whole country especially the poor people. WEP is working in a very fragile area where most houses and schools are built of mud and straws and roofed with plastic mats and mud, so, the area was seriously affected by the flood. Namely the schools that are supported by WEP. A quick survey was conducted by WEP staff to estimate the damages. 4 out of the 10 supported schools witnessed great damages.  As 2 classes were completely wrecked and the teachers’ office collapsed at a school in Salaam village at Jabal Awlia locality. All the teachers were gathered in a small office which was also half collapsed at the back wall.  2 classes at another school at a neighbourhood which was one a displaced camp at Sharq Elneel locality also collapsed, the roofs of the 2 classes were stripped off. A wall of a 3^rd school at Dar elsalam B 52 at Umbadda locality fall down as well as 2 classrooms half collapsed. Also a school at Dar elsalam B 34 drowned in the water as the school yard was very law so the rain water covered it inside and surrounded it from outside which causes 2 classrooms walls to collapse as well as the head mistress office.

WEP took another tour in the affected schools accompanied by a construction technician to estimate the amount of the damage and the needed intervene.  WEP provided the materials, and with the assistance   of the schools heads and the parents committees WEP succeed to rehabilitate the schools before the study year started.

The initiative was highly appreciated by the schools’ heads and staff. They were so happy with it. It really made a difference, at Jihad school at Dar elsalam B 34 they said about 13 teachers were using the same office including the headmistress, as they left their office for fear to collapse on their heads at any time.  So the new office provided a good solution.

Our Spring 2022 Newsletter is now available, click here to find out all the latest updates and a look ahead to the rest of 2022.