The U.S ambassador to South Sudan is urging the government and the public to invest in education for the children.

Ambassador Susan Page says children in South Sudan need better education in order to become responsible citizens in the future.

Amb Page was speaking yesterday at Mahad Girls’ Primary School in Juba, where the USAID announced a donation of 17.5 million US dollars for emergency education project to children displaced by the conflict.

She said education should be used as a tool for empowering young people in the country.

“If they don’t have education, they can turn into anything, and often that is not good because they will end up being idle,” Amb Page stressed.

UN estimates put youth in South Sudan at 70% of the total population.

“That is a huge, huge potential and big opportunity,” she continued.

“So, if it [education] is lost, think about how many youth will one day be searching for something constructive to do?

The partnership between USAID and UNICEF is expected to benefit more than 150 thousand children displaced in mainly the 3 states that have been affected by the violence.

Experts say last year’s statistics in South Sudan shows more than 58 percent of school age children were out of school, and less than 12 percent completed primary school.