The Education Program of JRS operates in six schools in the city of Yambio and Maban. It provides meals and other essential items to 1,300 children suffering from the effects of war and displacement. The program has improved education and health services by attracting and retaining youth in schools, and relieving pressure on families that have difficulty providing for their children. In Maban county, JRS supports three Early Childhood Development Centres (ECD) and one Temporary Learning Space (TLS). The ECD centres aim to ensure children are prepared for basic schooling. TLS gives youth the opportunity to learn when they are unable do so in a formal school.

COVID-19 has affected JRS’s education work. Schools have only re-opened for sections dealing with exams. Others are not scheduled to restart until April 2021. Online and socially distanced radio tutoring has been implemented and JRS is working to get the full program up and running. Their programs on hygiene and COVID-19 transmission prevention have been highly effective as people have taken to hand washing and social distancing, but facial coverings have received a lukewarm reception. JRS South Sudan continues to invest in better infrastructure and technology to advance education, despite COVID-19. This offers hope and helps people see they are not being abandoned.