JUBA, Sept 27 (Xinhua) -- The African Development Bank (AfDB) said Thursday it has given South Sudan a 17.7 million U.S. dollar grant to help improve basic education in the country.
Benedict Sorie Kanu, AfDB Country Manager in South Sudan, said the grant is the bank's growing commitment to closely work with Juba in improving infrastructure and enhance teaching and learning for some of the most marginalized children in war-affected areas of Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Eastern Equatoria.
Kanu said the project will improve access to primary education for 30,000 boys and girls through rehabilitation and expansion of 35 primary schools in these areas.
"I am pleased to note that with the agreement of the government of South Sudan and the African Development Bank, the grant approved by the bank for the improving Access and Quality of Basic Education (IAQBE) project will be implemented by UNICEF," Kanu said in Juba.
He noted that the project will help to build the capacity of 2,000 teachers and rehabilitates two national teacher training institutes and 10 county education centers.
"The African Development Bank remains optimistic for swift and successful implementation of the project by UNICEF. We call on other partners to join this tripartite in working with the government of South Sudan to help chart an even brighter future for the country," he said.
Mohamed Ag Ayoya, UNICEF representative in South Sudan, said the four-year-long project will help the UN agency to supply more textbooks to the children, noting that the project will support the implementation of key polices and strategies for better delivery of education services at primary level.
"What we are aiming to do together with the bank and the government of South Sudan is not only to increase access to education, but is to also increase the quality of education," Ayoya said.
He said the project seeks to also reduce over more than 2.2 million children who are out of schools due to the ongoing civil-strife that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of others.
Yien Oral Lam Tut, South Sudan's higher education minister, said the grant will help the east African country to boost strong education system as the parties' gather steam to establish unity government later this year.
"It is a huge task that government alone cannot implement and we are encouraging all you (partners) to be involved in our journey of transforming South Sudan's education sector as we move forward to the era of peace," Lam said.
