World Vision starts peace building programme in Adjumani refugee settlements

By Flavia Lanyero

On 15th December 2013, violence erupted in South Sudan’s capital Juba and quickly spread to other locations in the country. Internal conflict and ongoing clashes in many of South Sudan’s states have resulted in both internal displacement of people and movement of refugees across international borders.

According to UNHCR statistics of September 26th, 2014, approximately 96,001 refugees (65% children) have been settled in Adjumani District.

According to the Government of Uganda Interagency Flash Appeal for the Emergency Response to the South Sudan Refugee Influx,  some of the gaps identified by the Joint

Assessment Mission included the need for Peace Education and Awareness, and Women and Youth Spaces. Despite the presence of many of aid agencies and international NGOs providing basic services in the refugee settlements, there are significant gaps to be addressed, especially for children and adolescents in the protection, psychosocial, and peace building sectors. The peace-building project that was being implemented in Adjumani District by ACCORD with support from OXFAM has ended, leaving a gap in peace building, life skills, participation and psychosocial initiatives.  

For this reason, since January 2015, World Vision started a Peace Building programme named Peace Building, Participation and Psychosocial well-being enhanced for Children and Adolescents in Adjumani District.

Andrew Iraguha the response manager in Adjumani said the programme will complement the efforts of UNICEF and UNHCR and other partners to provide South Sudanese children and adolescents with opportunities to participate in activities that enhance their skills, promote a culture of peaceful co-existence, and build a supportive and safe environment for children.

“World Vision Uganda will build on current child focused interventions in Adjumani to include increased psychosocial support, the establishment of Peace Clubs, and the facilitation of life skills and peace building training that strengthen the ability of children and adolescents to protect themselves and participate in decision making processes that affect their lives,” Mr Iraguha said.

The programme which kicked off training in January will work directly with 1,800 (900 children of 5-12 years of age and 900 older children/adolescents of 13-19 years of age in refugee settlements and host communities. Each child is expected to target 10 children with messages on peace building and psychosocial support by the end of the first year. In total 19,800 children and adolescents will be reached (9,900 children 5-12 years of age and 9,900 adolescents 13-19 years of age). Additional 4000 children (2,000 children of the age group of 5-12 years and 2,000 adolescents of the age group of 13-19 years) are expected to receive Psychosocial Support.

“The children will be provided with information on peace building and their capacity to prevent themselves from violence, exploitation and abuse will be enhanced to also support other children with psychosocial activities,” Mr Iraguha said.

Ireen Namusu, a facilitator at the training said that during their exodus to Uganda from South Sudan, many children were exposed to severely traumatising events such as fighting, abduction, separation from their family members and witnessing family members and relatives being killed.

“These children, especially the most vulnerable, unaccompanied and separated children and adolescents, have been exposed to further physical, emotional land psychosocial abuse. The witnessing of killings, destruction of homes and loss of family and friends severely affects refugee children’s psychosocial wellbeing,” Ms Namusi said adding that this refugee mobility creates further separation from within the settlements.

At least 3 percent of children at the point of initial registration have been identified as Separated/Unaccompanied according to government records. This leaves a significant number of children and adolescents unattended to and with no guidance, thus exposing them to further risk of abuse. Additionally, difficulties in accessing food, water, education, livelihoods, recreation and other services increases children’s exposure to stressful situations on a daily basis while many parents leave their children and adolescents in the settlements to return South Sudan in search of alternative livelihoods.