Last week, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) – with the support of its partner, Ericsson – opened a new Community Learning Center (CLC) in Maridi, South Sudan. This marks a new phase of WPDI’s work in the country’s Equatorias region, where it now has a network of 11 CLCs in operation.
This network of CLCs provides many services to their surrounding communities. They serve as safe spaces for coming together, to gain valuable skills and knowledge, and organize. They offer free certified classes in topics such as conflict resolution, information and communications technology (ICT), entrepreneurship and business skills, and many others; all designed to help participants gain skills that will increase their employability. They host libraries for public use and offer community members an opportunity to connect to the Internet and use computers. The CLCs also enliven community life through activities such as community dialogues, cultural, or sporting events, all of which aim to cultivate a culture of peace locally. In 2018, nearly 120,000 South Sudanese people engaged with and benefited from the above-mentioned services.
These CLCs have a concrete impact within South Sudan. Surveys conducted by WPDI last year found that 82 percent of community members who had taken WPDI’s ICT course experienced a “positive career change”. In fact, 44 percent managed to find a job within six months of their training! For a country with a nearly 12 percent official unemployment rate, this is welcome indeed.
WPDI’s network of CLCs in South Sudan is a unique community resource. That is why we are proud to open a new CLC in Maridi – WPDI’s second in Western Equatoria. It will serve as a hub of education and peacebuilding efforts in Maridi state, equipping children, youths, and citizens at large with tools they can put to use to transform their communities into more peaceful and prosperous places. The reaction to its opening is indicative of its future work and impact; the ceremony was attended by close to 1,000 youths, partners, and government dignitaries – including by the State’s governor. Without question, we are optimistic about its success.