Integrated Approaches to Education, Livelihoods, and Peacebuilding in South Sudan: Joint Programming for Sustainable Outcomes in Emergencies

• In Event: Reimagining Systems: From Local Innovation to Structural Change

Proposal

This study examines an integrated Education, Livelihoods, and Peacebuilding Joint Programme in South Sudan, implemented by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the World Food Programme (WFP), with support from the European Union. Focusing on UNICEF’s contribution to the education component, the study highlights how schools serve as pivotal platforms for delivering multidimensional, gender-responsive support across sectors including Child Protection; Health; Nutrition; and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), within a conflict-sensitive framework.

Recognizing that education alone cannot resolve the complex challenges faced by displaced populations, returnees, and vulnerable groups, the programme anchors durable solutions in expanding access to quality, inclusive education, encompassing community-based learning. Strategic investments in school infrastructure, including climate-resilient classrooms, teacher training, and improved learning environments, underpin efforts to enhance educational outcomes. Complementary partner interventions, notably WFP’s school feeding programme, further bolster access and retention by addressing immediate nutritional needs and creating safe learning spaces. Concurrently, IOM contributes livelihoods and vocational training targeting youth, returnees, and women, fostering economic stability and resilience that supports child retention in school while mitigating harmful practices such as child labor, early marriage, irregular migration, and gender-based violence.

The programme’s intervention logic is grounded in evidence that social cohesion strengthens through economic interdependence, infrastructural peace dividends, and psychosocial support embedded in education settings. Employing a holistic, conflict-sensitive approach informed by ongoing conflict analyses and adaptive programming, the initiative remains responsive to evolving tensions, particularly ahead of key political events. Integrated climate awareness and community dialogue activities aim to enhance resilience and peaceful coexistence by addressing resource scarcity and environmental vulnerabilities.

Implemented through coordinated joint UN programming, the programme emphasizes local ownership and participatory risk and vulnerability assessments to ensure relevance and sustainability. It prioritizes reducing gender disparities in education through targeted access expansion and behavior change initiatives. Government capacity is reinforced via technical assistance and training in education planning and financial management. Additionally, civil society engagement is strengthened through support for mothers’ groups, peace clubs, and the Young Reporters programme, empowering women, youth, and children to advocate for education rights and participate actively in community decision-making.

By addressing the intertwined drivers of conflict, displacement, and economic vulnerability, this integrated programme seeks to improve access to quality education, strengthen sustainable livelihoods, and foster peaceful coexistence among diverse communities. The study offers insights into how education-centered, multi-sectoral programming, rooted in local systems and coordinated through joint action, can provide a scalable model for inclusive development and sustainable peace in fragile contexts.

Author

• Amritpal K Sandhu, ...