JSRP survey report on Western Equatoria, South Sudan

Our new report describes the findings of a survey conducted by the Justice and Security Research Programme (JSRP) in Western Equatoria State, South Sudan, in 2013. The survey is based on a representative sample of 433 individuals in the Ezo County and the two southern-most payams of Tambura County

Public health impacts and responses to floods

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HIV/AIDS orphans‘ schooling in post-conflict South Sudan : Education-related challenges and coping strategies of orphan children

Master i flerkulturell og internasjonal utdanningThe aim of this study is to provide a picture of the experiences of HIV/AIDS orphans with regard to the challenges they face in attending school, and the ways in which they deal with some of those challenges in the process of schooling in Kajo-keji County, South Sudan. Three objectives were developed for this study. The first is intended to explore the challenges faced by orphans in relation to education. The second explores the initiatives taken by individual orphans to cope with the challenges to their schooling and the third is to understand how various actors within the orphans‘ communities respond to the orphans‘ situation. In particular, the third objective looks at the role played by teachers, religious leaders, elders and stakeholders like Governmental and nongovernmental organisations, community based organisation and faith based organisations in helping orphans cope with the challenges they face in the process of schooling. The methodology adopted for this study is based in a qualitative approach to social research, specifically an ethnographic design in which a variety of methods are used for collecting data, including participant observation, semi-structured interviews and secondary data analysis. Two primary schools were selected as the main sites for data collection, and a total of thirty four participants were interviewed in this study. The resulting data were analysed narratively. The findings of this study reveal that the HIV/AIDS orphans experience several challenges ranging from food, financial, material, medical and emotional which collectively contribute to affecting their schooling experiences. On a relatively positive note, most of the orphans adopted the leja-leja coping strategy which necessitated that they physically involve themselves in doing income generating activities (IGAs) in order to finance some of their basic and schooling needs. More so, a few of them coped through getting financial and emotional assistance from NGOs, religious institutions, teachers and elders. The study suggests that, despite or perhaps because of these challenges, orphans can be considered as resourceful individuals. It further indicates that civil society and the Sudanese state can do more to support the HIV/AIDS orphans. One conclusion from the study is that the South Sudan government in collaboration with its partners should intensify their efforts in developing policies and programmes which enhance the educational opportunities of the orphan children, and more so the inclusive culture developed by some primary schools like those in Kajo-keji County which provided ‗safe havens‘ to the orphans

Educational Decentralization in Southern Sudan : a study of community participation and democratic leadership in two primary schools in Central Equatoria State, Southern Sudan

Master i flerkulturell og internasjonal utdanningThe purpose of this study is to explore what governance structures and leadership styles enhance community participation in school governance. The study specifically explored community participation and democratic leadership in improving school governance and management. Qualitative research approach was applied and twenty three (23) informants were interviewed for this study. The study sample comprises of Ministry of Education officials, School Management Committee (SMC) and Parent Teachers Association (PTA) members who represent the parents and the community, Head teachers, and teachers. Interviews, documents evidence, and general observation have been employed as a means of data collection methods. This use of interviews is to allow the informant express his or her views based on the subjective school of though. The data collected was analysed inductively. Educational decentralization is the common way through which community can participate in the governance and management of the schools in Sub-Saharan Africa. Governance and community participation, and organization theories which comprises of critical organization theory, bureaucratic theory, stakeholders theory, and Role theory form the bedrock of the study. The study reveals that the schools have formal structures (SMC and PTA) that promotes community participation in school governance, and that these formal structures are an expression of democratic governance that allow the community to participate in the governance and management of the school through democratic practices and democratic leadership that allows broader participation of the stakeholders in the governance and management of the school. The research findings reveal that community through the SMC and the PTA participate in the governance and management of the schools as the community is engaged in resources mobilization, planning, budgeting, school development, policy formulation, administration and financing of the school, but policies on the curriculum and exams is under the government and that the community is also limited with lacks training, and skills. As such the roles played by the community are underperformed and financed. The study concludes that community participation and democratic leadership enhance school governance and management, as educational providers are hold accountable by the community in this democratic school governance and management

COVID-19 and infection prevention and control in health facilities

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Snakebite is a neglected medical emergency in South Sudan

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Editorial: Guinea worm disease: the final push to eradication

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How can I improve my practice as a teacher and facilitator while working together with instructors/teachers in order to discuss with them and facilitate them in increasing the learning outcome of their students?

Master i yrkespedagogikkThis dissertation is a self-study research approach into my practice as a teacher and facilitator at Wau Vocational Training Center (WVTC). I examined my experiences as a teacher for 7 years, enquire the forms of my knowing and my claims that I know, through adapting a self-study research approach under the umbrella question: how can I improve my practice (Whitehead, 2009)? Throughout my first year as a master student at Akershus University College (HiAk), I have come to acquire new knowledge about a variety of research methodology and methods. Furthermore, my second year and gaining a perspective of Whitehead & McNiff, enlightened me more and found that self-study research approach is one of the valuable methodologies which offers a way to systematically look at ways to improve the "I". The "I" is a key element of self-study research approach that distinguishes it from other types of research methodologies. Self-study research approach places emphasis on the "I" within forms of action, and in relation to other people ideas, and events (Hamilton, 1998). My approached to self-study research approach was based on the question: how can I improve my practice as a teacher and facilitator while working together with instructors/teachers in order to discuss with them and facilitate them in increasing the learning outcome of their students? The purpose of this study is to look into what I encountered in my past experiences as a teacher as I moved to examine and improve my practice of it through the facilitation of instructors at WVTC. As I traveled down the path of improving my practice as a teacher together with instructors at WVTC, I learned so many roles of being a teacher, discovered my vulnerabilities, and found a community of support in the writings of Whitehead, McNiff and Tom Russell, and Hamilton. The improvements and understanding I gained through engaging in this study demonstrate that self-study can be beneficial for me to improve my practice in order to increase the learning outcome of the students. For this study I collected data from Wau Vocational Training Center (WVTC). The findings are divided into two sections. The first section handled the preliminary meeting with the leadership of WVTC, followed by the first workshop conducted for the staff of the same center by the experts from HiAk. The second section displayed my periodic meetings with the instructors at WVTC for one and half month. The same section (2) portrayed the interviews conducted for three head of the departments, namely; Electrical, Carpentry and Masonry as well as observation in the same sections for theory class and workshop practice. It is through the methods and tools that I used e.g. photography, research dairy (log writing), and audio recordings, I documented all the activities that I engulfed in at WVTC, which are explicated in the later stages of this wor

Alcanzando la sostenibilidad fiscal en los gobiernos locales de Perú

A partir de un diagnóstico de la posición fiscal de los gobiernos locales en Perú en lo últimos años, se propone un esquema de incentivos monetarios para garantizar la posición y salud fiscal de los mismos, con el objetivo de aminorar los efectos negativos de las fluctuaciones macroeconómicas en el corto plazo, fortalecer su independencia fiscal y la generación de recursos propios. Dicho esquema busca incrementar el esfuerzo de recolección de impuestos locales, el fortalecimiento de la capacidad institucional y reducir la volatilidad a través de un fondo de estabilización.Estados Unidos. Harvard University. Beca integral al mérito de la Escuela de Gobierno John F. Kenned

Severe Acute Malnutrtion Among Children Under Five in South Sudan

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a life-threatening condition characterized by severe wasting. The World Health Organization defines SAM as a low weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ) less than -3 standard deviation (SD) from the median growth standard or the presence of edema of both feet and/or mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) less than 115mm. SAM is a significant public health concern affecting children under five in developing countries, with South Sudan being one of the most severely affected regions. Persistent food insecurity, weak healthcare systems, and ongoing conflict contribute to the high SAM prevalence in the region, where political, religious, and social divisions, along with scarce resources, exacerbate the humanitarian crisis. Despite global efforts to combat SAM, its prevalence remains above emergency thresholds in South Sudan. Addressing structural barriers is crucial for reducing the impact of SAM. This systematic literature review, guided by the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) framework, aimed to analyze the prevalence, causes, and interventions for SAM in children under five years of age in South Sudan. Specifically, this research focused on children under five, evaluating practical interventions, comparing effective versus ineffective strategies, and assessing the intervention outcome. Utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), this study ensured a structured approach to literature selection, data extraction, and synthesis, proposing evidence-based strategies to enhance SAM treatment and prevention efforts in South Sudan