This piece was inspired by a photograph of a South Sudanese man watching parachutes from a world food programme airdrop. While the fact that something is being done about the shortage of food in South Sudan is great in itself, this picture inspired me to think about a world where people acted the same in response to a lack of education.

 

In South Sudan, only about 30% of children have the privilege of attending school. The other 70% are mostly girls, who are sent away to be child brides for the little money that comes from dowries. South Sudan has a poverty crisis, no doubt, but the cycle will continue if the next generation are not well educated. Education is the tool that can put an end to most of the shortages in South Sudan.

 

World Book Drop depicts an imaginary world where education is funded like other necessities, with programmes in place to ensure that enough materials reach the students of education-deprived areas such as South Sudan.