Mundri West Commissioner receives 4,400 Secondary School textbooks to boost education
By Emmanuel Mandella
In a groundbreaking step towards transforming education in Greater Mundri Counties of Western Equatoria State, the Commissioner of Mundri West County, Hon. Zelipher Dawa Justin, has received a consignment of 4,400 secondary school textbooks.
The support was through Amadi Land Education Rescue Team (ALERT), the Active Youth Agency, in partnership with the Ministry of General Education.
The textbooks covering core secondary school subjects arrived in the County on Wednesday and were handed over during a ceremony attended by education stakeholders, county officials, teachers, and community leaders.
Speaking during the ceremony, commissioner Dawa described the initiative as a turning point for local education.
“This is not just about textbooks; it is about investing in the minds and futures of our children. Fr too long, our teachers and students have struggled with inadequate materials. Today, we are witnessing change,” she said.
According to Dawa, who is currently the only female commissioner in South Sudan, the books have already been divided proportionally among secondary schools across Mundri West, Mundri East, and Mvolo Counties. The allocation takes into account both the number of schools and student enrollment.
Mundri West will receive the largest share, with 12 secondary schools to benefit.
Mundri East and Mvolo Counties, each with three schools, will also receive sizable portions of the consignment.
The Commissioner emphasized that this fair distribution is meant to ensure that every student, regardless of their county, gets access to quality learning resources.
According to the local education stakeholders who hailed ALERT’s intervention, shortage of textbooks have in the past been one of the greatest obstacles to effective teaching and learning in Greater Mundri Counties of Western Equatoria State.
Teachers previously had to rely on outdated or shared copies, leaving many students without direct access to vital learning tools.
Mr. Daniel Lotem, a senior teacher at Mundri Secondary School, welcomed the development with optimism:
“This is a big relief for us. A single textbook has been shared by up to five students in the past, which made teaching very difficult. With these books, we can now improve classroom participation and student performance.”
However, in a call for sustained investment, while celebrating the milestone, Commissioner Dawa urged for continued investment in education across Western Equatoria and South Sudan at large. She called on other organizations, government bodies, and well-wishers to emulate ALERT’s example and support education with the urgency it deserves.
“Education is the foundation of peace, development, and prosperity. The textbooks we are receiving today will shape the leaders, doctors, teachers, and engineers of tomorrow. Let this be the beginning of a sustained journey of investment in our young people.”
The Amadi Land Education Rescue Team (ALERT), based in Juba, has been at the forefront of advocacy for educational support in rural South Sudan especially in Western Equatoria State. Through persistent lobbying, ALERT has secured the consignment of textbooks from the Ministry of General Education as part of its broader mission to bridge the education gap in underserved regions.
As the books begin to reach classrooms in the coming days, students across Greater Mundri are expected to experience a new sense of hope, and education officials believe this effort will directly improve exam performance, boost literacy, and reduce dropout rates among learners in the region.
With this landmark step, the vision of quality education in Greater Mundri Counties is no longer just a dream.
