People with disabilities are amongst the most vulnerable in Tambura County, South Sudan since they face stigma and numerous cultural, attitudinal, environmental, and institutional barriers that hinder them from accessing services. Provision of assistive devices such as wheelchairs enables people with disabilities to carry out and participate in daily activities with their community with ease.
Tambura County is one of the 10 Counties in Western Equatoria State in South Sudan. It borders Nagero County in the Northeast and Ezo County in the Southeast. It also borders Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State (Raja and Wau Counties) in the north and the Central African Republic (CAR) in the West. Tambura County is one of the implementation sites for the Joining Forces for Child Protection in Emergencies in South Sudan.
Nearly two years after a massive outbreak of inter-communal violence in Tambura County, which led to tens of thousands being displaced while numerous others were killed or injured, there is a gradual return of calm and stability. However, the effects of conflict are still visible, with many people are aware that the trauma of past violence is still fresh in people’s minds. The community lost all their properties during the conflict.
Zakino is a 16-year-old who cannot walk. His father left him with his mother, Cicilia, due to his condition. “My husband created a lot of problems and decided to divorce me and collected five of my children. He left me with Zakino,” lamented Cicilia.
Zakino was born in 2007 without any signs of disability. When he was six-months old, he had many sicknesses. One of the many things Cecilia remembered that made her child weak was when he suffered from bloody diarrhea for a long time. He then started to show signs of weakness and, after two years, he no longer could walk like the other children.
Cicilia, now a single mother, has borne the burden of taking care of Zakino by herself for 16 years. In 2021, when the intercommunal conflict between members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition and the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces started in Tambura, Cicilia could not flee to a safe place. When everyone was finding a way to escape the violence fleeing to the neighboring counties of Ezo, Nagero and Yambio, Cicilia had to stay behind as her child could not walk. Luckily, a motorcycle rider commonly known as a “Boda Boda” offered her and Zakino a lift to the IDP camp in Ezo County after two days of walking and crawling for the mother and her son.
Zakino’s feet are paralyzed. He cannot walk. He can only crawl. She said, “I wondered why I had to be in this situation and often asked God why my son had to be disabled. Some people mocked me saying I am cursed by the evil spirit that is why I had this kind of a child.”
Cicilia who was small-scale farmer does not have any source of income to purchase a wheelchair for Zakino.
The Joining Forces for Child Protection in Emergencies (JF CPiE) implements projects and activities that support communities and internally displaced persons affected by inter-communal conflicts and nature-induced disasters. JF CPiE provides children and adolescents with disability access to the safe spaces and register for case management. These children and adolescents are provided with assistive devices such as wheelchair and tricycles. These interventions are a strong point for transformation along the domains of access, participation, and well-being of children with disabilities.
While at the internally displaced person’s camp in Ezo, Zakino was identified by a social worker and registered him for case management in April 2023. He received material supports such as a mattress, blanket, clothes, soap, and later in June to July 2023, his mother received non-food items and cash assistance to support the family.
In August 2023, Zakino received a tricycle from JF CPiE to help him access the child friendly space at St. Mary with ease. Since then, he’s been able to interact with other children, and this has brought him and his mother much hope.
Cicilia narrated, “I remember an incident where my son asked me take him to the playground so that he could interact with friends, but I was sick and I had no energy to carry him on my back. He started to cry uncontrollable that touched me emotionally. Thanks for this tricycle, Zakino is now able to move freely and visit friends.”
Currently, Ciclia has opened a mini restaurant in the market through the cash she received from JF CPiE and World Vision.
She said, “since we started receiving support from Joining Forces, our lives have charged. I have used the money (cash and voucher assistance) to open up a small restaurant in Tambura Town. Since my restaurant is in a strategic location, I believe I will make enough money to take care of Zakino and myself. No more begging from people.”
Cicilia was excited to share her son’s attitude: “I have never seen Zakino smiling and laughing like this for almost a year now. ” She added, “my child will no longer have to worry about transportation and this makes me feel good and relieved.”
Zakino is one of the 25 children (9 females and 16 males) with disabilities who have benefited from the distribution of assistive device, wheelchairs and tricycles in Tambura Payam, Source Yubu, Munuki and Mangala payams of Western Equatoria and Central Equatoria State respectively. JF CPiE aims to reach more children with disabilities in the above-mentioned locations.
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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.