Meet our first female security guard in JRS South Sudan, her Name is Odong Ana Anthony, she is a 24 years South Sudanese, and she is studying to become a Clinical Doctor.

ABOUT HER JOB AT JRS

Coming from a humble family, once she finished secondary school started working as a casual cleaner for JRS in 2018. Wishing to go to University, her mother could not afford to pay the required school fees.
Soon after her start with JRS, she started working as a cook in the weekends, what gave her a higer salary. And few months later, she applied to become the new Security Guard (a position previously held only by men), and she got it.

Thanks to that, she could get enough money to pay her school fees, and she enrolled in the Juba Health and Science Institute to become a Clinical Doctor!.

She is not only paying for her own education, but also sponsoring her younger sister in secondary school. She is aiming to work serving refugees in the camps, she believes that refugees are in need of health attention more than whom are in the city.

“I had money to join college… I completed my Senior Four [High School] in 2013 and I stayed home because my mom could not afford to sponsor me in the university.  But after getting that small money from JRS I decided to apply and go for the institute [The Juba Health and Science Institute]. ”

When she is asked if she could have joint the Institute if it was not for JRS, she says:

“I would have not!!!! I am so pleased with JRS without them I would have not joined the studies now”

Currently Ana is coming to guard the gates some nights, so she can join her lectures during the day.

“When I saw the notice saying JRS was looking for a guard, I thought it twice… people was discouraging me, saying a woman could not do such a job. But i had been here for sometime, observing what the boys are doing, and I thought that a lady could also do the same. So I applied, without telling my family… and I got the job!”

“My dream when I finish my studies is to get a good job. I am hoping to get a job with a private organization or at camp… I want to work with displaced people, like in Yambio or Maban, because those people they need more help, comparing with the other people in the town.”

“The way I see it is that women are suffering more, because the issues of getting job for a female is getting hard. There are some types of work that are very common, like constrictions, driving, security… but you might find that men are the one dominating it.”

“Since I was 12 year old, I was helping my mother at work. She had a business selling bread, so she was cooking it at night, and my brother an I we were going to the market and sell it in the streets during the morning. Depending the season, we were also helping her harvesting during the weekends. Thanks to that, she could raise enough money to pay my fees up to Form Four [High School]”

“I came to juba because live back at the village is getting hard… I came looking for a job so that I could sponsor my education, get a chance for my relatives… and by the good chance I go the work with JRS.” “I am very happy with JRS! even my mom herself from the village she is happy about it. When I call her she uses to say ‘My daughter, now I can’t support you… but JRS is like your mother and father! Just do that work with all your heart’. ”