By Kei Emmanuel Duku
As the reopening of schools edge closer, the commissioner of Terekeka County has taken a bold step to bridge the chronic educational gap in Central Equatoria, Dr. Emmanuel Loku Lodu, has issued a rallying cry for parents to enroll their children in school this February, backed by a new initiative to import teaching talent from neighboring regions.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of a two-day Mundari Cultural Conference on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Dr. Lodu emphasized that the future of the Mundari people hinges on the classroom. The conference, held under the theme “We Mundari got Strengthen in our culture,” served as the backdrop for the Commissioner to announce the recruitment of 25 teachers from Kajo-Kejo County to address the dire shortage of educators in the area.
“As the county government, we are urging every parent to ensure their children return to school effective February 2025 even if in non uniforms send your children to school, because education is the bedrock of our progress,” Commissioner Lodu declared.
He admitted that while government primary and secondary schools in Terekeka are ready to admit learners, the persistent lack of qualified staff remained a significant hurdle until the recent recruitment drive.
To sustain this new workforce, the Commissioner revealed a community-funded salary structure. Under the new arrangement, the recruited head teachers will serve both primary and secondary wings.
The head teacher is set to receive a monthly salary of 300 dollars, the deputy 250 dollars, and the remaining 23 classroom teachers 150 dollars each. To meet these costs, the county has enacted a local law requiring every family consisting of married couples to contribute 50,000 South Sudanese Pounds.
“We have set a law that every family will contribute 50,000 Pounds to support these educators. It is only through education that we will truly strengthen our culture of the Mundari people and foster the development and unity we seek,” Dr. Lodu told the gathering.
However, the path to educational reform remains steep. A youth representative at the conference noted that Terekeka continues to lag behind in literacy and school infrastructure, blaming the stagnation on low support from both the local population and the Mundari community in the diaspora.
The youth leader argued that without a formal education system, the community would struggle to preserve its heritage in a changing world.
As part of a strategic plan to mobilize the younger generation, the Terekeka County Youth Association announced intentions to construct a Youth Centre. This facility is envisioned as a hub where young people can brainstorm solutions to the challenges facing the county and forge a unified way forward.
Terekeka County has long struggled with educational underdevelopment compared to other parts of Central Equatoria, often exacerbated by a reliance on traditional cattle-keeping livelihoods and a lack of permanent school structures.
The Mundari Cultural Conference is an annual or periodic gathering aimed at reconciling traditional values with modern development needs. By linking cultural preservation to formal schooling, the county leadership hopes to overcome historical resistance to institutional education and build a more resilient professional class within the Mundari community.