Support to Secondary Schools

Helping Girls Continue Their Education in South Sudan

Since 2016, Drop in the Bucket has provided secondary school scholarships to girls in South Sudan, helping students overcome financial and social barriers that might otherwise prevent them from continuing their education.

The program began by identifying promising students from five participating primary schools in Nimule, South Sudan. These girls had demonstrated academic ability, determination, and the potential to become future leaders, but many faced uncertain educational futures because their families could not afford secondary school fees.

For girls growing up in South Sudan, the transition from primary to secondary school can be particularly difficult. Poverty, displacement, early marriage, and traditional expectations about girls’ roles within the family can all create obstacles to continuing their education.

Keeping Girls in School During Conflict

Shortly after the first students were selected, fighting broke out in the region, forcing families to flee their homes. Many of the girls lost parents or other family members, and several ended up living in refugee camps in northern Uganda.

Rather than allowing the conflict to bring their education to an end, DROP staff traveled to the refugee camps to locate the students and help them continue their schooling.

The organization arranged places at boarding schools where the girls could live in a safer, more stable environment and receive support from trained staff.

For students who had already experienced tremendous upheaval, the opportunity to remain in school provided something especially valuable: continuity, stability, and the possibility of a different future.

More Than a Scholarship

A secondary school education can open doors that might otherwise remain closed. It can help girls develop confidence, independence, and the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions about their futures.

DROP’s scholarship program is designed to give girls the opportunity to complete their secondary education and pursue goals that once seemed beyond their reach.

To date, Drop in the Bucket has supported 530 girls through its secondary school scholarship program, helping create opportunities for young women who might otherwise have been unable to continue their education.

As these students graduate, they also become examples for younger girls in their communities, demonstrating that completing secondary school is an achievable goal.

Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation

Educating girls has benefits that extend far beyond the classroom. Young women who complete secondary school are better positioned to pursue employment, participate in their communities, and make decisions about their own lives.

They can also become role models, encouraging younger girls and helping families recognize the value of investing in their daughters’ education.

By supporting girls through secondary school, Drop in the Bucket is investing not only in individual students but also in the future of their families and communities.