Khor is a 24-year-old volunteer working as a Child Friendly Space (CFS) facilitator in Akobo county, South Sudan. The CFS records 300 children weekly attending activities regularly. In the midst of continuous revenge killing, child abduction, and domestic violence, children in Akobo have experienced trauma, distress ,and anxiety. Khor provides a safe space and hope, excitement, and connection among children through role playing, theater, and storytelling.
Akobo county has experienced intercommunal violence for the last 5 years and a huge influx of refugees coming from Ethiopia due to the conflict in Sudan. This situation has overwhelmed the local available resources. CFS are the most safe places for children regardless their nationality or residential status. There, they are protected from harm, environmental risks, and supported for their psychosocial recovery. CFS also help communities to become more capable of caring their children.
The conflict in Akobo
Although the conflict in Akobo subsided in 2017, sporadic violence between communities continues to take lives. For many, this remote corner is place of refuge. Returnees, internally displaced people, and refugees travel for days, taking great risks to return to their place of birth or settle into a new home.
Child protection risks in Akobo
The Child protection concerns and interventions of humanitarians in Akobo are driven by intercommunal and armed conflicts. The flag of protection concerns was and is being raised by flooding, food insecurity, economic crisis, climate change and limited access to basic services.
JF-CPiE project in Akobo is intended to support vulnerable affected populations in five IDPs camps through the establishment and strengthening of Child Protection systems, individual support through case management services and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), awareness-raising, capacity building and monitoring and reporting.
The project directly benefits 5,800 program recipients in the Bor South and 3,000 indirect beneficiaries among host communities and from other IDP camps.
Participants are mainly supported through non-focused MHPSS, case management, and Child Protection system strengthening community-based approaches.
Awareness raising on key child protection concerns in the community, child protection prevention messaging, and child help desks are relevant tools used in the project.
Save the Children International established Babel Child Friendly space in 2021 as a request by the community and due to the increase of mental health risks for children beacuse of the communal conflict and increased domestic violence, child abuse, and exploitation.
The CFS became a lifeline for children recovery, build their artistic skills in painting, playing, drawing, and cognitive development. Nowadays, more children continue to attend the space daily as result of standard quality materials and activities provided at the center by trained facilitators like Khor.
“I am glad to promote children’s psychosocial wellbeing and healthy development. Encouraging children to play in CFS centers is more secure and safer than staying idle in the community. Children have become part of me; I am proud to see them recovered and enrol in primary school.”, says Khor.
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This publication was produced with the financial support of the German Humanitarian Assistance
Its contents are the sole responsibility of Joining Forces and do not necessarily reflect the views of the German Humanitarian Assistance.