Our team at JRS Maban has been assisting children like Azake (12) and Manali Musa (13) through our inclusive education program in the refugee camp in northern South Sudan.

Alongside providing Non-Food items to alleviate their families’ burdens (including clothes, shoes, soaps, mosquito nets, school bags, books, among other necessities), we offer rehabilitation and physiotherapy sessions for children with mobility impairments. We also provide assistive walking devices when necessary, thus improving these children’s access to education.

Azake is one of Fewu’s 23 children, but he is the only one with a mobility impairment. Originally from Sudan, the family arrived in South Sudan in 2011, just before Azake was born. Their suspicions about Azake’s condition arose early, partly due to his premature birth during the stressful journey. As Azake grew, it became evident that he couldn’t walk like his siblings, eventually leading to the realization that he never would.

Their lives changed dramatically in 2020 when JRS learned about their situation and provided Azake with a wheelchair.

Their lives changed dramatically in 2020 when JRS learned about their situation and provided Azake with a wheelchair. “Azake used to spend all day at home lying down. Thanks to the wheelchair we received three years ago, Azake can now attend school, supported by one of his brothers,” Fewu explained.

Manali Musa’s case (13) mirrors Azake’s. Also from Sudan, Manali Musa’s mother, Manali Yussuf, noticed her daughter’s condition early in her development, though it was not as severe as Azake’s. With the assistance of JRS’s rehabilitation and physiotherapy services, Manali Musa can walk and be independent, albeit with support for longer distances.

Both families share the same aspirations for their children: education, completion of studies, and securing employment for a better future than their own.

JRS adopts a holistic approach to its services, recognizing that education and rehabilitation are interlinked. Therefore, our physiotherapy programs significantly impact the educational access of the children we serve. To ensure a lasting and meaningful impact on the lives of our beneficiaries, we address multiple vulnerability factors.

It is this comprehensive approach that distinguishes JRS’s work, making it impactful and meaningful.