Dubai Cares, in partnership with Plan International, launched a program to address the education needs of South Sudanese refugees. In light of the continued vulnerability of South Sudanese refugee children and youth, and building on the success of a previous initiative, Dubai Cares supported an enhanced follow-up program with Plan International. This program aimed to tackle the underlying barriers and challenges affecting access to and meaningful participation in upper primary and secondary education for South Sudanese adolescent girls and boys, as well as host communities, in the district of Adjumani in the West Nile Region of Uganda.

The three-year program focused on two primary outcomes. Firstly, it supported the provision and availability of inclusive, safe, and quality primary and secondary education for vulnerable children and adolescents—particularly girls—through school rehabilitation, training of teachers and education managers in conflict-sensitive teaching practices, and the delivery of the Accelerated Education Program (AEP) for out-of-school children. Secondly, it aimed to empower children and adolescents, especially girls, to make informed decisions about their education and protection. This was achieved by addressing key issues such as sexual and reproductive health, menstrual hygiene management, and gender-based violence through mentoring sessions offered in after-school girls’ clubs (GEM).

In response to a previously conducted assessment identifying the community’s top priorities, the program also incorporated a WASH component, which included the construction of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, along with the distribution of hygiene and dignity kits.