Provision of Integrated Education and Protection Services in Malakal County of Upper Nile State After the displacement of persons in Malakal, the inter cluster assessment revealed that more than 70% of internally displaced persons (IDPs) were children (girls and boys) and women. At least four schools in the pre-crisis period are no longer operational, making it impossible for children in Wau Shilluk to access education services. The project targets 5 functional schools t in Malakal-, PoC and Wau Shilluk which have limited number of safe classrooms and sitting facilities to promote learning. The target schools have limited teachers and inadequate teaching and learning materials to enhance quality of learning in schools. A number of women interviewed requested for adult learning intervention program in order to gain literacy and numeracy skills to support their school-going children. With the return of relative peace in Malakal and its surrounding payams such as Wau Shilluk, there is an expected rise in the number of children enrolling to the few schools available. The returnees and affected populations that remained in Malakal will mount pressure to the limited classrooms and teaching and learning materials. Serious gaps also exist in immediate gender based violence (GBV) life-saving services (clinical management of rape, psychosocial counselling) for survivors and populations at risk of GBV. There is no WGFS for women and girls for group and individual PSS. According to FGD participants, survivors of domestic violence do not know where to go to report and receive services.

Given the low access and inadequate actors and services working across Education, Child Protection and GBV in Malakal and its immediate surrounding Payams, WVSS proposes this project to meet the identified needs of these affected returnees, IDPs and host communities in Malakal. Through the Education component, WVSS will improve access to quality education for 5000 (3000 boys and 2000 boys) in the 5 targeted schools by rehabilitation of 10 classrooms, construction of 2 semi-permanent learning spaces, building the capacity of various stake holders (100 teachers and motivating them with incentives, 55 PTA members, and 25 State/County/Payam officials), providing school supplies to all learners and teachers. The project will address literacy gaps using the ‘unlock literacy model’ that will boost literacy outcomes of learners in lower grades (1-3) by engaging teachers and learners of lower grades in reading sessions. In strengthening the education system/policies, there will be joint and termly monitoring visits comprising of 10 participants from the state, county, Payams and WVSS. 

Through the protection component, the project will establish and equip 3 child friendly spaces (CFS) with furniture, mats and other materials, benefiting 600 children. Other interventions will include training of 16 CFS animators/ECD caregivers, training and supporting 5 school clubs, conduct community dialogues on child rights involving 30 participants, and training of 16 various stakeholders on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA). In response to the COVID 19 pandemic, all teachers will be sensitized and trained on the basics of COVID 19 interventions. All teachers will be engaged as social mobilizers during the school closure period to reach the children and rest of community with COVID-19 messages. The campaign will be monitored closely and indicators such as number of teachers and percentage of enrolment reached will be reported. On COVID-19 preparedness, the project will procure for the target schools hygiene kits (soap, buckets, sanitizers), and non-contact human infrared thermometers which will be used when schools reopen.