Gordon Brown: “When I ask the mothers what they want most for their families, they say with one voice: education for their children.”

This post was written by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown after his visit to BRAC’s education programme in South Sudan and originally posted on the Gordon & Sarah Brown blog.

Celina stands at the door of her hut hugging her one year old daughter Dokia, who is dying of malaria. Her son Efon stands by her side, unable to go to school because he must help care for his one year old twin siblings. (Photo © OGSB 2012)

This is the picture I will remember from our visit to the newest state on earth. South Sudan is one of the world’s poorest – and in danger of being forgotten.

Of the 1,000 people living in the tents, huts and shacks that make up the village of Hai-Kugi, over 350 are children. But only 30 have schooling thanks to the one class room school hut constructed by the Bangladeshi charity BRAC.

18 girls and 12 boys are taught English, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics but outside looking in are dozens of children who have been turned away from the school. The next nearest school is miles away and while BRAC’s hut offers lessons free of charge, the 1,000 strong church school has to charge fees.

A mothers’ group meets in another hut. Thanks to money from the World Bank they are being taught about the potentially harmful impact of early marriage and ill health in childbirth. For some it is too late – one mother told me she was married at the age of 12, another age 14 – the majority had married before they were 18. But when I ask them what they want most for their families, they say with once voice: education for their children.