S. Sudan president donates $150,000 to students union in Uganda
September 7, 2015 (KAMPALA) – A South Sudanese students union in Kampala has welcomed a $150,000 donation by president Salva Kiir to help support students’ activities at various universities and colleges in Uganda.
The students union in Kampala said many South Sudanese students are currently facing hardship and difficult financial situations.
Union vice-president Lual Jiel Magok told Sudan Tribune the donation would likely help stranded students clear outstanding fees still owed at various universities and colleges in Kampala.
“First and foremost this money was given to us as students’ leadership for us to do our activities, but since we have big number of South Sudanese who are evicted out of universities because of [a] lack of tuition fees, we would be able to give at least 60% of these amounts to the students to be given some little support in order to top up their tuition fees,” said Magok.
South Sudanese students studying in Kampala have previously asked the government in Juba help fund those students hard-hit by ongoing conflict in South Sudan continue their studies.
The more than eight-month-long conflict has affected some 60% of South Sudanese students in Kampala, whose parents are no longer able to support them.
Magok says the government’s contribution will help the union fulfil its mandate to assist students who are union members.
“For us as a union we are also mandated by our constitutions to give support to fellow students who are member of these union, so it is our mandate to help them out even [if] there is no money from the government or no money from anywhere within [the] union, so we can generate some income and we support them,” he told Sudan Tribune on Sunday.
South Sudan has been mired in conflict since mid-December last year when a political rift in the country’s ruling party (SPLM) turned violent.
The fighting has pitted government troops against rebel forces aligned with former vice-president Riek Machar, who was sacked last July.
Thousands have been killed as a result of the conflict, with some 1.5 million people forced to flee their homes.
According to Majok, one of the most pressing challenges facing the union was to oversee support for students whose parents have been displaced by the conflict.
“Most of our students now, let me say 50% of them, are out of institutions because of the conflict,” said Majok.
“Most of their parents are displaced from their work place, and they are not able to send money to their children here in Uganda, so these people are here and they are out of institutions and it is true that the conflict has affected most of our students in Uganda,” he added.
Meanwhile, students in Kampala have reiterated their support for the South Sudanese government, as the country’s legitimate and democratically elected leadership.
(ST)