Breaking harmful traditions, building futures: child protection committee efforts in Mangala amid crisis

By Victor Ngbapai | Child Protection officer | World Vision South Sudan

Mangalla Town Payam in Central Equatoria State has, for many years, faced significant challenges in protecting children from harmful cultural practices, exploitation and abuse. Families adopted corporal punishment as the best way of parenting. Boys were sent to graze cattle, while girls were prepared for marriage at a young age. Education was never a priority, and children grew up believing such practices were the natural way of life.

“I remember that parents in our community believed that beating children was the only way to discipline them. Our girls were forcibly married off between the ages of 12 and 15, and boys never had the chance to go to schcool,” said Gaitano Kenyi, a former employee of the Ministry of Health. 

In 2022, World Vision launched the Joining Forces for Food Security and Child Protection in Emergencies (JF FS&CPiE) Project in Mangalla, which integrates child protection with Food Security and focuses on building strong community structures in South Sudan.

Under the project, four Community-Based Child Protection Committee networks, each with 40 members, were formed and trained to lead awareness campaigns promoting safe and protective environments for children.

“At first, I had mixed feelings,” Gaitano said. “It was voluntary, with no incentives. But the training changed our mindset, gave us ownership, and motivated me to lead child protection efforts in Mangalla.”

Gaitano, a father of six, uses his knowledge to promote child protection in his community. The CBCP conducts awareness sessions in Juba and Tambura of Central and Western Equatoria States, educating communities on the risks of child marriage, the value of education for all children, and positive discipline alternatives.

Thanks to the Committee’s efforts, more parents now send their daughters to school rather than preparing them for marriage, improving girls’ retention in upper primary. Families are also adopting positive discipline, favouring dialogue over physical punishment.

“We now see parents and families allowing girls to go to school. This was not the case before. Our continuous awareness has changed the way people think about and view the girl-child,” Gaitano said proudly.

The committee’s work has also encouraged open discussions about child rights, something that was once considered taboo. Community members now talk freely about protecting children, and many families have begun to see education as a critical tool for a better future.

“I feel motivated to carry on with this work beyond the end of the Joining Forces project. As a member of the movement for positive social change, I will continue to encourage our communities to protect children from any form of abuse, even when World Vision is not there,” Gaitano added.

What began as a voluntary effort has grown into a movement for lasting change. However, child protection needs remain high due to the influx of Sudanese refugees and returning South Sudanese. Cases of child marriage, gender-based violence, and exploitation, as well as food insecurity and poverty, continue to be reported.

The Community-Based Child Protection Committee in Mangala Payam demonstrates how local action and awareness can change harmful traditions. Thanks to volunteers such as Gaitano Tombe, children now have a safer environment in which to learn and thrive.