Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)/USA’s International Programs team, based in Washington, D.C., has spent the last six years partnering with the JRS office in South Sudan to implement an education program previously funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and now supported by private donors. In April of this year, JRS/USA traveled to Maban County, Upper Nile State, South Sudan to visit these education programs for the first time since the U.S. government withdrew its funding.
Huffra Primary School is located not far from the main road, in a dusty, unprotected open area. The classrooms come in different shapes and materials – four made with brick and iron-sheet roofs, others with stick frames supporting a grass roof. Some classes are simply conducted under shady trees. Unmistakable, though, as one approaches, is the cluster of students who have gathered, eager to learn.
The school was established in 2015 by a community of internally displaced people who fled their homes due to violence and traveled to this area seeking safety. As a community-based school, they started with no government support but were accompanied by Jesuit Refugee Service. A Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) was established in 2016. The PTA is essential to the community in shaping and supporting what keeps the school running, such as repairing classrooms, mobilizing the community, and overseeing the headmaster’s and teachers’ performance, but the community needed additional support to keep the school operating. Without support from the South Sudanese government, JRS funding has been a lifeline.
The needs are greater than ever, as the number of students climbs each year: 386 students were enrolled in 2025; in 2026, 545 students are enrolled, with more expected in the future. U.S. State Department funding helped to support teachers’ salaries and training. When that funding ended, JRS mobilized private donors to step in to support nine teachers and a security guard, though that still does not come close to the support previously possible with State Department funding.
Two of the nine teachers JRS funding provides for are women, and the importance of that cannot be overstated. Most girls in South Sudan do not finish secondary school, making female teachers rare. The consequences of a low retention rate for female students include a literacy rate of 29% for women and girls in South Sudan, according to the last government figures. JRS prioritizes training and retaining female teachers to provide girls with role models and to show what education can mean for their future.
There are many gaps to fill; currently, in addition to the lack of classrooms and desks, there are no functioning latrines at the school, so teachers and students must use the wooded areas around the school property. The school’s headmaster is also worried about the security of the school because, without fencing around the school property, there is a major risk of armed gangs or opposition forces encroaching on the grounds.
In spite of the challenges, the headmaster, teachers, and community members remain determined to keep the school running, providing essential education and a safe space for the students. JRS will continue to work with the school as long as necessary, with a goal of eventually fully transitioning to a sustainable, community-run model.
