5 September 2017

Elizabeth Ayumpou Balang is a teacher at a nursery and primary school in Rumbek, a town in central South Sudan. It is her dream job, but it did not come easily. Like many girls in South Sudan, Ms. Balang was married, and became a mother, while just a teenager. Ms. Balang teaches at a local school where the curriculum includes modules on gender equality, HIV and AIDS and family planning as part of their comprehensive sexuality education programme. “We teach these subjects so they become aware of gender issues and their rights, especially the girls, as well as to educate them on how to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections,” Ms. Balang explained. The students respond well to the subjects, she says. “They are encouraged to participate in the discussion, especially when they realize that it is beneficial for them to be informed about these issues.”

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