By Staff Writer
More than 90 pupils from Primary and Secondary Schools together with some teachers in Kapoeta South County of Eastern Equatoria State have received a one-day training on trauma healing.
With funding from the Germany government through its institution called IFA, PAX for Peace Organization supported the Catholic Diocese of Torit to carry out lobbying and advance activities with women groups in the communities on issues affecting them.
The Peace Gender Officer of the Catholic Diocese of Torit who is managing the program Christine Namana, said the female teachers recommended a training for the school pupils. This was in a previous trauma healing training.
“Most of the girls have been facing a lot of challenges especially in the community which lead to drop out of many girls in the community and leads to early pregnancy and early forced marriages,” she said.
“When the girls go back from school, they are overloaded with a lot of homework, and even most of the students mentioned that they are facing a lot of trauma in their homes because the parents are not able to pay for their school fees,” she narrated.
On his part the County Education Director in Kapoeta South County Lotorit Charles, appreciated the initiative and called for more trainings in other schools within the County.
“The training is very useful, it is not the beginning of the training, we have been training teachers and even girls, we have got clubs in the school that they are trained for child protection,” he said.
He said most of the girls who have dropped out of school because they face a lot of challenges, hence the trauma healing would help keep a lot of girls in schools.
Sheila Malia Joseph, a pupil of Mazzoldi primary school, stated that the training was very important as it can help them guide some learners in the school.
Meanwhile, Jessica Lokidor, one of the pupils who attended the training said, “we have learnt how to handle ourselves and to be in school, I appreciate that and I can improve. Even I can tell my parents on how I can be school.”
Another primary eight pupil from Mazzoldi Primary school, Lidengo Faith, stated that she has learnt a lot on identifying the pupils facing trauma.
Meanwhile PAX for Peace Gender Lobby and Advocacy Officer Elizabeth Atong, says most of the girls are failing to get to school due to lack of basic needs.
“It was very informative in a sense that most of the pupils were able to speak out on the issues affecting them, from home,” said Atong.
“We discovered that most of the girls have a lot of trauma, most of the girls are failing to come to school because of lack of basic needs that the girls need,” she noted.
She emphasized the need for teachers and parents to work together for the success of pupils in school.
In a related news development, the Greater Kapoeta women Association with support from PAX for peace also on Wednesday 3rd August 2022 in Kapoeta supported a peace building training program that brought women leaders and other women groups to discuss how to create awareness in their communities on peace related issues and how to work collectively for peace in the country.
