Tramadol’s deadly comfort: Inside the drug epidemic swallowing youth
Nelson Mandela (not his real name) holds the handlebars of his boda boda, his eyes focused but distant. At 26, he is one of many young men in Juba battling not just the brutal competition of the city’s transport sector, but a growing addiction to Tramadol. For Nelson, the drug isn’t merely about getting high, […]
‘When I woke up, they were gone’: Nyabol’s desperate search for lost family in Sudan War
Nyabol Alor Chola, a 33-year-old South Sudanese mother, endured a horrific ordeal during a violent raid targeting foreign nationals in Khartoum. Her husband and two eldest sons were forcibly taken. When she attempted to resist, armed forces shot her twice in the legs and struck her head with a gun. She was unconscious for hours. […]
Mundri children pay price as renewed fighting cripples schools, safety
Renewed fighting between South Sudan’s opposing forces has left a generation of children in Mundri East County paying a heavy price. Since clashes erupted in late September, schools have been closed, communities displaced, and the safety of children severely compromised, leaving families and educators desperate for a return to peace. The clashes that began in […]
Unseen Victory: The truth behind South Sudan’s neglected blind football team
Their journey to Kampala began on a crowded bus, not by choice, but because there were no funds for flights. Even after winning a trophy that should have sparked national pride, they returned to Juba the same way: quietly, without fans, cameras, or officials to welcome them. The National Bright Star Men’s Blind Football Team […]
Beyond the frontlines: How women leading peacebuilding in South Sudan through storytelling
By Keji Janefer Mama Dar Al-Salam Ahmed sits inside a bamboo hall in Block 2, Gurei North, where women gather to unburden themselves and rebuild their lives through storytelling. In South Sudan, peace is often debated in political halls, yet some of the country’s most effective peacebuilders work far from these spaces. They are women […]
How women’s grassroots peace efforts end decades-long cycle of violence in Tonj North
For decades, Tonj North County in Warrap State has been a battlefield of revenge, where gunfire replaced dialogue and mourning became a way of life. The cycle of cattle raids and counterattacks tore families apart, leaving women widowed and children orphaned. But when violence seemed unstoppable, it was the women, the mothers, widows, and sisters, […]
Beyond expectation: Smiles return as wasting support rescues lives in Rubkona
In the flood-affected vicinities of Rubkona County in Unity state, where families rely almost entirely on humanitarian assistance, a new dawn is unfolding as young mothers find hope in local nutrition support. For many years now, the area has continued to face severe malnutrition emergencies, with families grappling with food insecurity and limited health care, […]
Left without services, women walk for days to find care
Floods, displacement, and the collapse of basic services have turned simple illnesses into life-threatening emergencies for the women of Rubkona County. With health facilities washed away or left without medicines, thousands of mothers face an impossible reality: walk for days or go without care altogether. For many, survival now depends on endurance, determination, and the […]
Hope flows again in Rubkona as vital water sources come back to life
For 45-year-old Rebecca Nyagok, the simple act of fetching water used to be a daily risk. Like many women in Rubkona County of Unity state, the mother of six was forced to trek three to four hours to River Namu because local water points had collapsed. The journey exposed them to severe dangers. “Some of […]
Women farmers power Rubkona’s shift to resilient agriculture
Women in Pakur Boma, Rubkona Payam, are emerging as the driving force behind a major shift toward climate-resilient agriculture, helping communities rebuild livelihoods shattered by years of flooding and conflict. Across the area, women farmers are adopting new techniques and resilient crop varieties that allow them to survive recurrent floods while boosting household food supplies. […]
