To the IGBS community,
Greetings to everyone from the UK, I hope you are all well.
I am writing this letter to share the findings from the research I have conducted with IGBS for my master’s degree dissertation at University College London in the UK. Having completed this work, I would like to share with you the findings of my research, which I hope will both be encouraging and useful to IGBS.
First, I want to sincerely thank the school for allowing me to conduct this research, it has been a privilege for me to speak with a number of IGBS secondary school graduates and their teachers, and to learn about your experiences at the school.
My research focused on women’s empowerment through education, using IGBS as a case study to explore how a school can play a role in promoting empowerment. To do so, I wanted to hear about the direct experiences of IGBS members and understand how these experiences at the school shaped their views on women’s education and their empowerment.
Over the past few months, I interviewed three IGBS graduates and two current IGBS teachers. These interviews were conducted over the phone on WhatsApp for around 30 minutes and provided me with great data, which I then analysed. The analysis was guided by my central research question which was: “Through the experiences and perspectives of former students and current teachers, how does the IGBS school contribute to the challenges and opportunities for South Sudanese women’s empowerment through education?”
I would now like to share the key findings of this research.
The findings are divided into two sections: (1) The IGBS environment and (2) The impact of IGBS.
In the first section, I focused on which aspects of the IGBS environment had contributed most to the personal growth and skill development of the graduates. Through my analysis of the interviews, I identified three factors as significantly contributing to the development of leadership skills, self-confidence and decisiveness: (1) the prefectorial body, (2) IGBS’ extra-curricular activities - such as MDD, football and debate - and (3) the role of teachers.
The prefectorial body and extra-curricular activities were mentioned by all participants as developing leadership, conflict-resolution, communication, social and decision-making skills. Meanwhile, the teachers were praised by the graduates not only for their great teaching skills but also for encouraging personal growth, life skills and challenging traditional male and female roles in society.
In the second section, I focused on the individual and community impact of the education provided by IGBS and whether it had opened up opportunities for the graduates.
All participants reported a positive personal impact, highlighting that they felt much more confident to speak in public, voice their opinion and take on leadership roles both within their families and in their daily lives. Beyond personal development, the education they received also had a broader influence on their communities. For example, the graduates mentioned that what they had learned at IGBS had helped them excel at their work and study in a health institute or enabled them to get into university. Notably, two graduates described their influence on young pregnant women at the hospital and clinic where they work. They explained that they often helped by teaching them about the importance of education and staying in school. They could also give health information to help them feel more secure and prepared for childbirth and childrearing. This clearly shows the ripple effect that educating young women can have on the wider community, empowering not only the current but future generations to value education.
However, when it came to opportunities and support after graduation, opinions differed among participants. One graduate felt that she had received a lot of support after graduating, but other participants expressed that perhaps more could be done, particularly as many young women from the first graduating cohort had gone on to marry rather than continue with further education.
I recognise that the shortage of opportunities and support for further training and university study for graduates arises from limited funding, rather than a lack of care. However, some suggestions noted by the participants could be useful for IGBS to consider for the future. Several potential solutions were suggested for supporting future graduates. For instance, one idea was for IGBS to offer more vocational training or skill-based classes (such as embroidery) which could help the graduates to have an income.
Another suggestion was for the school to strengthen its engagement with the students’ parents, as they continue to have an important place in the lives of the young women, even after they complete school. Informing parents on the benefits of continuing school and engaging them in discussions could help reduce the pressure of early marriage and encourage further studies beyond Senior Four.
Overall, the findings of this study highlight the significant positive impact of IGBS on its graduates and broader communities. With its first cohort having graduated in 2022, IGBS has already proven to be a transformative force in the lives of these young women equipping them with crucial skills and the empowering both them and their communities.
While challenges remain, I have no doubt that with continued funding, both for the school itself and for higher education, IGBS has the potential to continue to be beacon of hope and opportunity for young girls across South Sudan.
I would like to once again, extent my deepest thanks to the school, the IGBS community and the participants of this study, for giving me the opportunity to conduct this research. I have learned so much from you, and to have witnessed a school as remarkable and impactful as IGBS fills me with immense joy and hope for a brighter, more equal, and peaceful future.
Sincerely,
Céline Barbera-Saulnier
