South Sudanese teacher praised by UN

Koat Reath in his classroom. Photo: UN/Plan International

Gambella, October 6, 2019 (SSNA) — A South Sudanese refugee teacher Koat Reath has been praised by humanitarian agencies and the United Nations for his commitment to teaching children who escaped war and missed school for years.

Koat, who is teaching in the Jewi refugee camp, says he is happy teaching children because they are the future and that songs sometimes help in his classroom.

“As you can see these are children. Teaching children is not easy. I use song[s] so that they have fun and don’t feel bored … That’s the way I get my message across,” said Koat

Koat also explained that children need to be taught well so that they will become future doctors or presidents.

“We are here today because we want to teach our children how to be the champions of tomorrow. If they are not taught well, they will not succeed. If they are taught well, they will be the future presidents, the future doctors, the future pilots of South Sudan,” he declares.

Millions of South Sudanese children are out of school due to the ongoing conflict in the country.

Jewi refugee camp is located in Ethiopia’s Gambella region.