UNMISS and Local Officials Inspect New Classroom Construction at Yei Day Secondary School

(Yei) – Local government authorities and representatives from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) conducted a joint inspection of an ongoing school construction project at Yei Day Secondary School on Friday, June 13, 2025. The initiative is part of efforts to improve learning conditions in Yei River County and support the reintegration of returnees from neighboring countries.

The project, funded by UNMISS at a cost of $50,000 (approximately 65,000,000 South Sudanese Pounds as of June 2025), involves the construction of three new classroom blocks. It is being implemented by the national non-governmental organization Support for Peace and Education Development Programme (SPEDEP).

Njoki Kinyanjui, Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Juba, said education remains a top priority in the region. She emphasized that improving infrastructure is essential for creating a conducive learning environment for both local students and those returning from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kinyanjui noted that the new classrooms are expected to encourage more girls to enroll in school, contributing to gender equality in education. She also praised SPEDEP and the contractor for making swift progress on the construction and stated that similar education projects will soon be introduced across South Sudan’s ten other states.

Education officials in Yei River County expressed appreciation for UNMISS’s role in supporting school infrastructure development. Juan Margaret Lomora, Director of Education in Yei River County, said the project will improve the quality of education and strengthen the status of Yei Day Secondary School, which has evolved from being known as “Junior” before the 1980s to becoming a key government secondary school in the region.

Lomora also called on development partners to consider building a perimeter fence around the school to help protect students and school property, and to limit unnecessary movement in and out of the premises. She added that good quality construction work will leave a lasting legacy and be remembered in the history of the school.

Lawuro Okello, a member of the UNMISS Protection, Transition, and Reintegration (PTR) committee, recommended the installation of a lightning protection system, such as a thunder arrester, to ensure the safety of the new school buildings.

During the inspection, Yeka Levi, a representative from SPEDEP, said construction was progressing well and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2025. He commended the support and supervision provided by both the county education department and UNMISS headquarters in Juba, which he said had contributed to the smooth implementation of the project.

Yei Day Secondary School is located in the northwestern part of Yei town and currently serves around 700 students. As one of the oldest government-aided mixed secondary schools in Yei River County, it holds historical and educational significance in the region.

The newly constructed block at Yei Day Secondary school (Photo by James Innocent)