Residents of Kabu South, a fast-growing settlement on the outskirts of Juba, say the absence of roads, healthcare facilities, schools and clean water has left thousands struggling to access even the most basic public services, with patients often transported to hospital on wheelbarrows during medical emergencies.
The concerns were raised during a Community Care Programme Public Declaration organized by Women for Justice and Equality (WOJE) in partnership with UNICEF, UNMISS and other stakeholders.
The event brought together community leaders, government officials, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, women, youth and persons with disabilities to reaffirm their commitment to preventing sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and building safer communities.
While the gathering focused on protecting women and girls from violence, community leaders said meaningful protection cannot be achieved without improving access to essential public services.
Speaking at the event, Kabu South Chief Emmanuel Joseph Machar said the community has lived without basic infrastructure since it was demarcated in 2010, despite its population growing to more than 7,300 residents.
“The biggest challenge facing our community is the lack of roads,” Machar said. “Without roads, we cannot access healthcare, education, clean water or other government services.”
Health emergencies become life-threatening
Machar described healthcare as the community’s most urgent concern.
Kabu South has no health facility, forcing residents to travel long distances whenever illness strikes. Because many roads are impassable, ambulances and vehicles cannot reach large parts of the community.
Instead, relatives carry sick patients on wheelbarrows, bicycles or even on their shoulders for several kilometres before reaching a main road where they can search for a motorcycle or vehicle to continue the journey to hospital.
“When someone falls sick, especially at night, we have no option but to wait until morning because no transport can reach us,” Machar said. “We leave their lives in God’s hands.”
He said the delays have had devastating consequences.
According to the chief, five pregnant women died last year after developing complications during labour because they could not reach hospital in time.
“It can take three to four hours to reach the hospital because we first have to carry patients to the main road before finding transport,” he said. “Those delays are costing lives.”
Water shortages and lack of education
Residents also face severe shortages of clean drinking water.
Only two boreholes serve the entire community of more than 7,300 people, leaving many families waiting for hours to collect water.
Water vendors rarely enter the area because of poor road conditions, and when they do, residents pay as much as 20,000 South Sudanese Pounds for a drum of water.
Education remains another major challenge.
Despite its growing population, Kabu South has no school, forcing many children to walk long distances to neighbouring communities for lessons, while others remain out of school altogether.
“Our children deserve an education, but there is no school in this community,” Machar said. “Many of them are missing out on learning because of the distance and lack of facilities.”
Roads linked to insecurity and gender-based violence
Machar said poor infrastructure has also affected security and delayed emergency responses by law enforcement agencies.
He noted that unresolved land disputes dating back to the area’s demarcation continue to fuel tensions, while women and girls remain vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence.
“We are experiencing many cases of gender-based violence in Kabu South, and we are appealing to the government to intervene as quickly as possible,” he said.
“Our community urgently needs roads, health facilities, schools, clean water and stronger security. When the roads are opened, service delivery will improve, security personnel will respond faster, ambulances will reach us, and our people will have better access to the services they desperately need.”
Calls for collective action
Addressing the gathering, Juba County Commissioner Samuel Emiliano Wani Pitia said ending violence against women and girls requires coordinated efforts by government institutions, traditional authorities, community leaders and young people.
He called for stronger action against harmful practices, including child, early and forced marriage, saying sustainable peace and development depend on protecting the rights and dignity of women and girls. He also commended development partners for supporting community-led initiatives.
WOJE Executive Director Zabib Musa Loro said the public declaration represented more than a symbolic commitment, describing it as a pledge by communities to protect women, girls, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
She urged communities to reject harmful traditional practices, invest in education and healthcare, and strengthen local protection systems for survivors of gender-based violence, while thanking UNICEF and other partners for supporting the programme.
Representing UNMISS, Pelden Dorji encouraged young people to reject criminal activity and work closely with community leaders and security agencies to promote peace and public safety through community policing.
UNICEF Greater Equatoria Field Officer Solla Asea reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting education, community awareness and social services aimed at preventing gender-based violence and improving access to essential services.
The Community Care Programme seeks to strengthen community ownership in preventing violence before it occurs while improving support for survivors and promoting inclusive, peaceful communities.
For the people of Kabu South, however, the message extended beyond protection from violence.
Residents say lasting change will only come when roads are opened, health facilities are built, schools are established and clean water becomes accessible—ensuring that no family is forced to push a sick relative to hospital on a wheelbarrow because essential public services remain out of reach.
