The Chinese Embassy in South Sudan has donated hundreds of textbooks and scholastic materials to the China Friendship Secondary School in Juba, reinforcing the long-standing education partnership between the two countries. The hand-over took place during the school’s annual “Chinese Day” event, which celebrated cultural exchange and featured participation from the 13th batch of the Chinese medical team and members of China’s peacekeeping contingent under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
Cirisio Zakaria Lado, Minister of General Education for Central Equatoria State, remarked that the school – established by China in 2011, stands as a visible symbol of the supportive role that China has played in advancing education in the world’s youngest nation. “We have graduated many learners with the help of China, and this proves the strong relationship between our two countries,” he said.
The minister-level remarks were echoed by the school’s Headmaster, Nelson Wani Dere, who noted that former students, supported by the Chinese-built institution, have gone on to become ministers, director-generals and university graduates. “If it were not for the Chinese government, we would see some of these students out of school or resorting to crime,” he stated during the ceremony.
According to China’s Ambassador to South Sudan, Ma Qiang, China has so far compiled and distributed over three million primary and secondary school textbooks and supported more than 400 South Sudanese teachers to receive training in China. China remains firmly committed to placing education at the strategic heart of its cooperation with South Sudan.
Education cooperation between China and South Sudan forms part of a broader relationship that stretches into infrastructure, humanitarian support and economy. Since diplomatic ties were established soon after South Sudan gained independence in 2011, China has invested in infrastructure such as the China-South Sudan Friendship Hospital and has sent nine batches of medical teams to serve rural communities.
The textbook donation underscores a shift in Sino-South Sudan cooperation: moving from large-scale infrastructure toward building human capacity, enabling teachers, updating curricula and promoting youth development in a country still recovering from conflict and instability. Local educational advocates say that the gifts of high-quality textbooks not only support learning but affirm hope and stability for young learners in Juba and beyond.
Challenges remain – South Sudan still faces school-building deficits, a shortage of trained teachers, and logistical obstacles in delivering materials to remote regions. For China’s initiative to have long-term impact, those formal links between material support and local education systems will need ongoing attention and coordination.
Nonetheless, the ceremony signals that China remains a dedicated partner in South Sudan’s development journey, one that sees education not as a peripheral project but as a pillar of shared progress. The pledged teacher-training programmes in China add a critical component: equipping local educators to nurture future generations.
As South Sudan continues to rebuild and broaden its education system, partnerships like this weave a narrative in which China-Africa cooperation moves beyond infrastructure toward capacity building, shared knowledge and sustainable youth empowerment.
