PLAN UK
June 2018
Nearly five years on from the outbreak of civil war, South Sudan is still ravaged by conflict and crisis. Teenage girls in the country face immense challenges – child marriage, early pregnancy, lack of education and often extreme hunger.
Kate Holt travelled to South Sudan with PLAN UK to document their stories and ask them about their fears and dreams.
Helena, 16, makes tea to sell in her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Thursday 3 May 2018. Helena moved from Gwau to Rumbek when she was 11 years old. Her father had died previously from malaria, so she and her mother came here on foot, which took a day and a half. Since her father died, she has been unable to go to school – his 30 cattle were raided shortly after his death. Some days, she is unable to eat. “If I could I would go to school – I want to learn and if I can learn I can get a job to be able to help my family. My biggest challenge is hunger. My mother also became blind four years ago. I have to look after her – this is why I am working in the tea shop so I can make money to support her. I have four brothers who are younger than me and I need to look after them. One of my brothers goes to school though and I support him to stay there. I want him to be able to get a job so he can help us. My biggest worry is the sickness of my mother and the life of my siblings. I am their carer. I worry about having no food and the war coming back. My hope for the future is that I can stay in work or get a better job.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age.
Helena, 16, makes tea to sell in her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Thursday 3 May 2018. Helena moved from Gwau to Rumbek when she was 11 years old. Her father had died previously from malaria, so she and her mother came here on foot, which took a day and a half. Since her father died, she has been unable to go to school – his 30 cattle were raided shortly after his death. Some days, she is unable to eat. “If I could I would go to school – I want to learn and if I can learn I can get a job to be able to help my family. My biggest challenge is hunger. My mother also became blind four years ago. I have to look after her – this is why I am working in the tea shop so I can make money to support her. I have four brothers who are younger than me and I need to look after them. One of my brothers goes to school though and I support him to stay there. I want him to be able to get a job so he can help us. My biggest worry is the sickness of my mother and the life of my siblings. I am their carer. I worry about having no food and the war coming back. My hope for the future is that I can stay in work or get a better job.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age.- Teenage girls who have been affected by war and food insecurity pose for photographs at their homes near the town of Rumbek Town , South Sudan Wednesday, May 2, PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food.
- Helena, 15, poses for a photo in her home in Wulu, South Sudan, on Tuesday 1 May 2018. “I know my father will let me finish school before I get married,” she says. “My favourite subject is CRE – Religious education and science. When I leave school I want to work for PLAN – the people from PLAN are good so I want to work with them.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Helena, 14, looks after her family’s cows near her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Thursday 3 May 2018. Helena fled with her family to escape fighting in her hometown of Abear. All of their possessions were stolen along with many of their cattle. Helena has never been to school because she has to look after the remaining cattle, and the family normally eats once per day. Despit this, she is not worried about getting married yet, because of her young age. “My biggest worry is what we are going to eat each day because it is not regular,” she says. “My hope for the future is that I can go to school. If I could change one thing about my life it would be to go to school and not have to look after the cows.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Helena, 14, poses for a photo in her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Thursday 3 May 2018. Helena fled with her family to escape fighting in her hometown of Abear. All of their possessions were stolen along with many of their cattle. Helena has never been to school because she has to look after the remaining cattle, and the family normally eats once per day. Despit this, she is not worried about getting married yet, because of her young age. “My biggest worry is what we are going to eat each day because it is not regular,” she says. “My hope for the future is that I can go to school. If I could change one thing about my life it would be to go to school and not have to look after the cows.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Monica, 12, shows her food for the day in her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Thursday 3 May 2018. She lives with her mother, two brothers and two sisters, but has no money to pay for school fees and uniform. All the family’s money is currently going to her father, who is in hospital. Monica is sometimes able to eat twice per day, but the family is often hungry. “When I am hungry my stomach hurts and I feel if I eat my body is stronger,” she says. “When I don’t eat it is weak.”
“School is what makes me happy. My favourite subject was English. If I finish school I would think about what to do but now I don’t have a dream because it is too hard to think about what I may not get. I haven’t stayed long enough in school to learn about what I could do either. I am worried my mother may sell me to be married because she may have to to survive.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Monica, 12, poses for a photo in her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Thursday 3 May 2018. She lives with her mother, two brothers and two sisters, but has no money to pay for school fees and uniform. All the family’s money is currently going to her father, who is in hospital. Monica is sometimes able to eat twice per day, but the family is often hungry. “When I am hungry my stomach hurts and I feel if I eat my body is stronger,” she says. “When I don’t eat it is weak.”
“School is what makes me happy. My favourite subject was English. If I finish school I would think about what to do but now I don’t have a dream because it is too hard to think about what I may not get. I haven’t stayed long enough in school to learn about what I could do either. I am worried my mother may sell me to be married because she may have to to survive.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Roseanna, 17, poses for a photo with her schoolbooks in her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Wednesday 2 May 2018. Roseanna came to Rumbek for school. Shortly after she arrived, her aunt took her back to her hometown of Shabette, and some of her family members tried to marry her off. When she refused, she was shot in the hip by a cousin. She was brought back to Rumbek for treatment and school. “When I leave school I want to be a doctor. I want my family to regret what they have done to me – I want to prove to them when I go back to treat their families and them that my education was worthwhile,” she says. “I want an education so that I can get a good job. With a good job I can replace the cost of the cattle that would be used to by my hand in marriage – by being educated there is a longer term solution to poverty.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Teenage girls who have been affected by war and food insecurity pose for photographs at their homes near the town of Rumbek Town , South Sudan Wednesday, May 2, PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food.
- Helena, 15, poses with her father with tools and seeds given to them by PLAN outside their home in Wulu, South Sudan, on Tuesday 1 May 2018. She and her family fled their hometown of Mathiang last year after fighting broke out. They brought nothing with them; all of their possessions were stolen in the conflict.
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Mary (centre), 15, poses for a photo with her family outside her home in Wulu, South Sudan, on Tuesday 1 May 2018. She was able to start going to school after her father was given seeds and tools by PLAN to allow him to farm. The family used ot have to scavange food from the forest nearby. “Now things are better and we will eat twice a day,” she says. “My family have more financial security now so there is no danger of me being married. I want to finish school first before I get married. I would like my children to have a good life.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Mary, 15, poses for a photo with some of her food preparation tools outside her home in Wulu, South Sudan, on Tuesday 1 May 2018. She was able to start going to school after her father was given seeds and tools by PLAN to allow him to farm. The family used ot have to scavange food from the forest nearby. “Now things are better and we will eat twice a day,” she says. “My family have more financial security now so there is no danger of me being married. I want to finish school first before I get married. I would like my children to have a good life.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Roseanna, 17, shows her food for the day in her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Wednesday 2 May 2018. Roseanna came to Rumbek for school. Shortly after she arrived, her aunt took her back to her hometown of Shabette, and some of her family members tried to marry her off. When she refused, she was shot in the hip by a cousin. She was brought back to Rumbek for treatment and school. “Sometimes I can go without food for a day because there isn’t any – food is a big problem – it was in Shabette and it is here. If I don’t eat I feel hungry – and if I don’t eat for a few days I can’t go to school because I feel weak. My biggest worry is not being able to get food to eat and not being able to help my family, who are in extreme poverty. They are not educated and they have never been to school, and don’t understand why it is important. They are hungry so that is why they make bad decisions.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age. - Roseanna, 17, shows her gunshot scar in her home in Rumbek, South Sudan, on Wednesday 2 May 2018. Roseanna came to Rumbek for school. Shortly after she arrived, her aunt took her back to her hometown of Shabette, and some of her family members tried to marry her off. When she refused, she was shot in the hip by a cousin. She was brought back to Rumbek for treatment and school. “When I leave school I want to be a doctor. I want my family to regret what they have done to me – I want to prove to them when I go back to treat their families and them that my education was worthwhile,” she says. “I want an education so that I can get a good job. With a good job I can replace the cost of the cattle that would be used to by my hand in marriage – by being educated there is a longer term solution to poverty.”
Girls in South Sudan often aren’t educated past primary school age, as many families are keen to marry them off at around 14 to 16 years old, in exchange for assets like cattle. Others simply can’t afford to pay school fees.
PLAN International, with support from the DEC appeal, provided seeds and tools to families last year who were affected by the severe drought and ongoing conflict so that they could grow their own food. This income means that families can send girls to school, and are less likely to marry them off at an early age.
