By Lodu William Odiya
The Caretaker State Minister of General Education and Instruction, Ibwaha Lucy Allam, has conducted a series of courtesy visits to major educational institutions in Torit Municipality to assess ongoing activities, identify challenges, and explore opportunities to strengthen education and skills development.
The minister began her visit at Torit Technical Vocational Training Centre, where she assessed ongoing training programmes aimed at equipping young people with practical and technical skills to improve their livelihoods and employment opportunities.
Minister Ibwaha commended the development partners supporting the institution for their commitment to implementing a pilot project designed to benefit youth across the state.
However, she appealed to education partners to expand the programme by increasing the number of trainees from six to at least ten participants per course unit.
She also urged partners to extend the training period from three months to six months, noting that a longer duration would give trainees sufficient time to develop their skills, gain practical experience, and become better prepared for the job market.
Meanwhile, the minister also met the country director of Cordaid, who was visiting to inspect the facilities used by students undertaking practical learning at health facilities in Torit.
The principal of Torit Technical Vocational Training Centre, Okello Germano, guided the minister through the institution’s various training departments, including tailoring, hairdressing, baking, and building construction.
Mr. Okello explained that the centre currently receives limited resources through the Ideal Africa Initiative, with funding provided by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement a pilot project targeting only six trainees in each course unit.
He highlighted the need for increased financial and material support to expand access to vocational training and enable more young people to benefit from the programme.
Minister Visits Torit University of Science and Technology
Following her visit to the vocational training centre, Minister Ibwaha proceeded to Torit University of Science and Technology, where she was briefed on the institution’s development and ongoing academic activities by Professor Pasquale Tiberio Moilinga.
Professor Moilinga said the university was making encouraging progress and commenced lectures for students at the beginning of October.
He observed that some members of the public had previously viewed the institution as having limited prospects, but said its ongoing activities were beginning to demonstrate its potential and contribution to education in the state.
The professor also called for closer collaboration between the university, the State Ministry of General Education and Instruction, and other relevant government institutions to address outstanding security and maintenance concerns.
He emphasized that resolving these challenges would help ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for students and staff on campus.
The minister’s tour continued to Torit Health Sciences Institute, where she met the principal, Tobias Magezi Omal, who introduced her to the institution’s departments, programmes, and ongoing learning activities.
The visit provided an opportunity to discuss the institution’s growing needs, particularly the demand for additional infrastructure to accommodate the increasing number of students enrolling in health sciences programmes.
Development partners pledged to construct additional facilities to support the institute’s expansion and provide more suitable learning spaces for students pursuing health-related studies.
The minister’s visits to the three institutions highlighted the importance of sustained investment in vocational training, higher education, and health sciences education across Eastern Equatoria State.
Through engagement with institutional leaders and development partners, the ministry seeks to identify practical solutions to existing challenges, strengthen partnerships, and improve access to quality education and skills development for the state’s young people.