Children under the care of Juba orphanage are pictured at their morning prayer. (Photo: Joice Evans/Eye Radio.)

Children in South Sudan are faced with continued food insecurity, child labor and harmful practices such as child marriage and child trafficking hindering their pursuit of education, according to an official.

The Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare Aya Benjamin Warille, made the remarks as South Sudan celebrated the African Child Day under the theme Education for all children in South Sudan.

Ms. Warille said her institution is aware of the many challenges that children face in the country, especially child marriage.

She said her ministry along with that of Ministry of Education will continue to advocate against harmful practices and ensure children complete their academic journey.

“We know that many things are happening, but we as a ministry will continue advocating for the right of the girl child. A child should remain as a child and that is what it is, she should be allowed to play,” she said at the event in Juba.

“Children should be allowed to go to school like any other child. When the time for marriages comes, she will be married and and she has to be part of the decision.”

Addressing the occasion, Brendan Ross, UNICEF Chief for Children’s Rights Protection, reiterated calls on the politicians and lawmakers to invest in education.

Mr. Ross lamented that majority of South Sudanese children – numbering 2.8 million out 5.1 million, are not in school while a large proportion of children in schools are not healthy.

“Sadly, South Sudan proportions of children in school and children out of school are not healthy. We have 2.3 million children in school. We have 2.8 million children out of school,” Mr. Ross said.

He stated that the UN children agency is committed to ensuring that children are provided the necessary conditions to get back to school.

“The school is not only a place where children get educated, it’s it’s a place where children make friends,” he said.

“It’s a place where children are able to make relationships, it’s a place where children are able to be safe, it’s a place where children are able to get hope, and hope is the thing that drives us forward in life.”

“Hope is the thing that gives us new ideas, gives us inspiration. And schools are places where children can take that next step so that they can enjoy their childhood and they can go on to live a meaningful, healthy, inspired life as adults.”

This year’s commemoration highlights the critical importance of empowering children through education and equipping them to shape a prosperous future for South Sudan.

The day of African child service also serves as reminder to address challenges African Children face and advocate for their rights, particularly in accessing education.

In the recent statistics from UNICEF, estimated that over 2.8 million children in South Sudan are out of school, with more than 70% of the school age population affected.

Poverty, gender disparities, and regional conflicts are regarded as some of the factors that continue to hinder children’s access to Education, particularly for girls and vulnerable populations.