Edina Rotary supports project in South Sudan

The Rotary Club of Edina is supporting a project of the Rotary Club of Minneapolis to build female pit latrines and washing facilities at a school in South Sudan and distribute sanitary pad kits and teach a feminine hygiene course to female students there.

 

The Rotary Club of Edina will contribute $2,000 toward the construction and education project, which is estimated to cost $15,000. The project is scheduled to begin in October and be complete by June 1, 2018.

 

 

In 2011, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan after two decades of civil war. During this conflict, many schools were destroyed. According to UNICEF, more than half of South Sudanese primary and lower secondary school-age children are not attending school. Girls in particular are affected by poor access to education. Girls have a 16 percent literacy rate in South Sudan, lower than the 40 percent literacy rate of boys.

In 2016, Greenbelt Academy was founded by University of Notre Dame student from South Sudan. It is a secondary school in Bor, Jonglei State, South Sudan, aiming to support educational opportunities and promote peace-building skills for the next generation of South Sudanese. However, due to budget constraints, female restrooms were not built in the initial construction. Female students must use the bush or go to a neighboring facility for their restroom needs. Additionally, without access to affordable sanitary pads, girls are kept from attending school for a few days every month, thus discouraged from continuing education.

The Rotary Club of Edina will contribute $2,000 toward the construction and education project, which is estimated to cost $15,000. The project is scheduled to begin in October and be complete by June 1, 2018.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Edina, visit www.EdinaRotary.org. For information on the project, contact International Service Director Shelly Loberg, 952-806-9064, or shelly@edina.org.