Community water pump repaired and fully operational again, thanks to the technical expertise of students from the Egyptian Technical School in Wau. (Credit: Egyptian Technical School)
RIVER JUR COUNTY, WBeG (Eye Radio) – In a powerful demonstration of community service and the value of vocational training, students from the Egyptian Technical Secondary School in River Jur County successfully repaired a broken water pump, restoring access to clean drinking water for struggling residents.
In May 2024, the Egyptian government, in collaboration with the national Ministry of General Education and Instructions, launched the vocational school named “Egyptian Technical School” in River Jur County of Western Bahr el Ghazal state. The school offers training in plumbing, solar energy and electricity installation and maintenance, among others.
The community’s weeks-long struggle for clean drinking water, caused by a broken neighborhood pump, sparked the student effort. After securing permission from the school, students training in mechanical and electrical repair used their technical knowledge to provide an immediate, practical solution for the desperate villagers.
After two days of focused teamwork and dedication, they restored the pump to full operation, sparking joy and relief among the grateful residents.
Students from the Egyptian Technical School in Wau are seen working to restore the community water pump in River Jur County. Their technical skills brought clean water back to residents after a multi-day outage. (Credit: Egyptian Technical School in Wau)
Applying Classroom Skills
The students quickly diagnosed the fault. Paula Peter Lino, a first-year student in the Electrical and Solar Energy department, described the technical process.
“What happened was that there was a power outage affecting the connection between the solar panels and the control unit. We checked the electrical connections of the panels and discovered a problem,” stated Lino.
“We then checked the water pump connections, and after that, we decided to change the wiring. Thank God, the water started working again after being off for three days.”
Lino added, “I’m happy to be involved in the technical field because of the job opportunities available through vocational education. There are more opportunities available in the job market in this field compared to the academic field.”
Achan Ngor, a student in the first year of the electrical department, expressed her relief: “I felt very happy after we succeeded in getting the pump back to work. This residential area is large, and people were suffering because of the water in the neighborhood… When I was in the north, I was hoping to join an industrial school, and that was found in Wau.”
Edwin Korial, a third-year student of the Electrical and Solar Department, elaborated on the final fix: “We checked the continuity using a multitester, and we found there was a discontinuity. Then we replaced the cable, and the pump began to operate normally as usual.”
Students from the Egyptian Technical School in Jur River County are working to restore the community water pump in Jur River County. Their technical skills brought clean water back to residents after a multi-day outage. (Credit: Egyptian Technical School)
Relief and Gratitude from the Community
The success brought immediate relief to the local population, who had endured great difficulty finding water. Nyakur Juma, a resident, spoke of the suffering.
“The water was cut off for three days, and this created a difficult situation for us. We had to walk for half an hour to get water from the neighboring villages. It was three difficult days without water for our children and our livestock.”
Another resident, William Atiang, echoed the thanks: “The water outage was a big problem for us. I used to get drinking water for my cows from this pump, and when it stopped working, it was a problem for us because we had to walk a long distance for half an hour to look for water. But after the students from the Egyptian Industrial School repaired it, I can now get water for my cows again.”
Joyful moment as residents access the water tap, fixed and operational after the repair work by students from the Egyptian Technical School in Jur River County. (Credit: Egyptian Technical School)
Testing Abilities for a Better Future
Wahid Fouad Suleiman, the Head of the Egyptian Educational Mission, framed the repair as a crucial test of his students’ capabilities: “When the pump broke down and we received complaints… we decided to test the students’ abilities to see if they could apply what they had learned at the technical school.”
Suleiman confirmed the technical findings: “They discovered the problem was in the connecting cable… They replaced it, and then we started pumping water. We also helped the plumbing department replace and reconnect some pipes, and they connected and insulated the cables to protect them from the sun. After that, we started the pump station, and the residents of the area thanked the students.”
The technical high school, established by the Egyptian Arab Contractors Corporation and inaugurated in May 2024, offers specialized courses in electricity, solar repair, hotel management, and plumbing. This initiative powerfully highlights the spirit of social responsibility among young people and the value of technical education in addressing real community challenges through practical solutions across South Sudan.
The service team from the Egyptian Technical Secondary School in Wau poses during their work in River Jur County, which restored clean water access to the local community after the recent breakdown. (Credit: Egyptian Technical Institute in Wau)
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