Twic East Commissioner, Hon. Deng Mabany Kuot, Inaugurates 4 Primary Schools in Twic East Toich Islands, Jonglei State
Twic East Commissioner, Hon. Deng Mabany Kuot, Inaugurates 4 Primary Schools in Twic East Toich Highlands, Jonglei State
By Deng Kooch Diing, Dhiam-Dhiam, Jonglei State
Monday, 27 June 2022 (PW) — The Commissioner of Twic East County Hon. Deng Mabeny Kuot has inaugurated 4 Primary Schools in Twic East Islands for children inhabiting the East Bank of the Nile River.
The four inaugurated Primary Schools, Ayeth-Gak, Biothagaany, Pannhial and Bur-Dut would add to the already existing Ziam-Ziam Primary School.
Ziam Ziam Primary currently existed as a combination of both initiated basic School part of Commissioner’s Initiative, and Patiou Primary School on an emergency relocation to Ziam-Ziam main port after a devastating flood.
County authorities that accompanied the Commissioner to Toch Islands include, The Director of the County Health Department (CHD) Dr Chol Leek Deng, Panyagoor Town Mayor Atem Bul, and The CA of Toch Diing Bior Ajak among other dignitaries.
The team after opening each of the four Primary Schools also distributed some elementary learning equipment, books, exercise books, and pencils to the four Primary Schools opened in Twic East Highlands.
School textbooks, exercises and pencils were distributed to newly initiated Primary Schools in Toch Isalnds.
In addition, was the distribution of Mosquito nets, Plastic Sheets, Soaps and blankets in highly concentrated areas starting from Ziam Ziam, Jorwach, Ayeth-Gak, Biothagaany, and Pannhial.
Twic East has a population scattered in small Islands since the flood devastated all the payams Headquarters where schools are built on, in 2020.
Lith Payam Population that lived in Toc (wetlands) is 2954, Nyuak Payam 2763, Ajuong 2158 and Pakeer 4200 bringing the total number living in Islands to 12,075, this is exclusive of those living in Payam centres at home.
These figures comprised of local residents from various Payams of the county, and traders that came from neighbouring Counties as far as traders from East African Countries of Kenya and Uganda.
Speaking at Ayeth-Gak Primary School after its inauguration, The Commissioner said that the children living in areas far from town deserve the Right to Education in line with the provision of the Ministry of General Education and Instruction together with humanitarian partners.
Education Portfolio and Partners have it that up to 10 Children living in one locality in IDPS or Host places, have the right to education in line with provisions and Mandate of ‘Education in Emergency (EiE).
The Commissioner at the same time outlined that his visit rested in the realization of the late John Garang Vision of Taking Town closer to People rather than taking people to town.
Late Hero Dr John Garang, a man who dedicated the most resourceful years of his youth had once said that South Sudan is a Country born running and that the young nation will begin where the world is both on development and education we will take the town to people instead of people to town.
On his part, the Head of County Head Department CHD Dr Chol Leek Deng said that there is a need for those residing in Islands to benefit from medicines like those living in dry lands.
To achieve this objective, we have dispatched a team of Mobile Clinic to various Islands of Toch.
Mobile Clinics would be there to treat people living on each Islands for 21 days and switched to different Islands on mobile bases as there are no permanent hospitals for treatment and the fact that these areas are somehow far apart.
Care International, an organization charged with the provision of Medical Services in Twic East is currently in Biothagaany, where it is expected to switch to Ayeth-Gak, then to Pannhial as well as highly populated areas in Ajuong and Pakeer Payam.
This mobile treatment is a time-being strategy, but the County would establish a referral hospital in the near future to cater for people living in Twic East Islands.
Besides Care International, it is expected that MDM, another medical Organization will take up the highlands of Ajuong and Pakeer by September.
In the meantime, CARE International will cover the whole Twic East including the Islands of Ajuong and Pakeer which were designated for MDM.
Dr David Ayiik Deng on his part said that public health issues are still challenges since there is no clean drinking water and There is no Latrine making life difficult for the population living along the Nile, this makes them be on high risk of getting water-borne diseases such as Cholera, Bilharzia and etc.
I, therefore, appeal to NGOs and well-wishers to help in the provision of mobile Latrines as there are no spaces on the highland for digging Pit Latrines.
I would also want to encourage residents of Toc to initiate water purification, through boiling, use of a water guard and filtration.
Women of Childbearing age also found it hard to access some hygiene kits as required by their ages. Other hygienic detergents like soaps and sanitary pads.
Commercial town activities also existed in Toc Islands such as the baking of flour, adding on to pre-existed commercial fishing.
Women in various areas found it hard to purchase wheat flour from commercial centres in Bor and Juba to run their businesses.
On His Part, the Head of the County fisheries Department Joseph Ajok Reech said that there is a need to establish permanent and modern methods of fish preservation.
Commercial fisheries relied on drying, salting and smoking as the only means of preservation to prevent fish from rotting.
He added that the fisheries department appealed to humanitarian partners and the diaspora to help in building the capacity of 5 fisheries groups ABCDE in Toic.
Group A is stationed at Ziam Ziam, Group B at Ayeth-Gak, Group C in Biothagany, Group D in Pannhial and Group E at Bur-dut.
Each of these groups is comprised of 150 fishermen trained in 2018 by the County department of fisheries.
Mr Ajok added that both the state and the county benefited from the revenues collected once they transport their fish to Markets and Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo DRC.
The State government get 20% of all the revenues collected, the department of fisheries with 20% and the remaining 60% goes to the County.
The County Commissioner ended his weeklong tour in Bur-dut where he inaugurated the last School that will cover all the Highlands under Ajuong Payam.
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