Frequently Asked Questions
Why a girls’ school?
Answer:
Education provision in South Sudan is very poor, and Save the Children estimate 75% of children are out of school. The rates are worse for girls. Only around 25% of South Sudan's girls finish primary school and only about 10% complete secondary education. Educating girls improves not only their life chances but their health and well-being and that of their families.
Why a residential school?
Answer:
IGBS Founder Bridget Nagomoro knows only too well the difficulties for a South Sudan girl to continue her education beyond the age of 10, due to cultural pressures from family and friends. Getting to and from school can also be long, hard and hazardous. Keeping the girls safe and nurtured in a residential environment ensures they can focus on their studies safely and without distractions.
Is the school free to attend?
Answer:
IGBS aims to provide access to all with the thirst and potential to learn, whatever their background, status or finances. No fees are charged for the schooling, but all families are asked to make a small contribution to their daughters' living costs in cash or kind (e.g. foodstuffs). No student will be prevented from coming to the school because of lack of income.
Does the conflict in South Sudan affect the school?
Answer:
The school's catchment area of Western Equatoria State is a very fertile area in the south west of South Sudan – 400 miles from disputed oil-producing areas at the northern borders of the country. The Zande people who form the majority in Western Equatoria are committed to sustainable development based on agriculture and forestry. The State government and church leaders are actively committed to peace-making, and see education as part of this process.
Security is one of the top priorities in the school and detailed, regularly rehearsed contingency plans are in place to protect students and staff should any emergency arise.
Does the local community support the School?
Answer:
Absolutely. In addition to the 73 acres of land donated to the school by local people, the school is overseen by a group of South Sudan Trustees and a Board of Governors in Ibba who work closely with the UK Trustees. State and local government is fully behind the school, as are all the local churches. There is huge enthusiasm for the school – as seen when 600 people came to celebrate the opening in June 2014. What they lack is money: that’s where FIGS comes in.
Why are the costs so high?
Answer:
Simply because access to Ibba, located in the former Western Equatoria State, is so difficult. It is 10 hours from Juba by road and the journey is hazardous in many ways. There is only a small airstrip in Ibba itself. Although local labour and resources are used wherever possible, any materials that have to be brought in become very expensive when the costs of diesel and logistics are factored in. For example a bag of concrete costs $10 when bought in Kampala in neighbouring Uganda, but by the time it arrives in Ibba it has cost $100.
How are girls selected for the school?
Answer:
The school serves the needs not only of Ibba County (allocated up to 22 places per year group) but the whole of Western Equatoria State, with the other 9 Counties allocated 2 places each per year. There is no shortage of girls who want to come to the school! But to ensure fair access for all, whatever their background, the school's Senior Management Team and classroom teachers undertake an annual recruitment exercise, publicised in advance, where they traverse the catchment area to talk about Ibba Girls' Boarding School and interview potential students. School staff also work with local primary schools to identify girls who have the potential to benefit from the school, who are then invited to apply. The school's policy of "excellence not elitism" means that girls are selected for aptitude and attitude, as well as evidence of parental support, without regard to any student's ability to pay.
Where will the girls go after they finish at the School?
Answer:
When the girls complete their education in Senior 4 grade, they will be equipped and qualified to apply to go on to higher education at university or college – or to further professional or vocational training as teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, or leadership roles in government, the churches or the wider community.
Are the teachers local?
Answer:
The school is committed to recruiting and developing teachers from South Sudan or East Africa. FIGS, IGBS and our partners at Windle Trust International (WTI) are working jointly together in the development of the school over the next 10 to 20 years, aiming to blend the best of African and of Western approaches to education. From time to time, this involves volunteer teachers coming to Ibba to work shoulder-to-shoulder alongside the African staff to offer mentoring and capacity building.
Can I help fundraise?
Answer:
Yes, please! There are lots of ways you can help. Check out the resources here for more ideas.
Do you need stuff?
Answer:
Because of the logistics and weight limits involved with getting things to South Sudan, unfortunately we can’t take much with us. But we’d love you to turn it into cash at a car boot sale or similar and send the proceeds to us, so we can use them where they are needed.
Why do Ibba School girls wear their hair shaved so short?
Answer:
In South Sudanese culture shaved hair is a symbol of dedication to education and learning, rather than adornment for courtship and early marriage. Short hair is seen as hygienic and less time consuming than ornate braids.