What is the current situation in South Sudan?

A humanitarian crisis has consumed South Sudan since conflict broke out in December 2013. Currently, there are approximately 1.5 million people who have been displaced within the country, and more than 500,000 people who have been forced to flee. An already weak service delivery system is now hugely overstretched, with around 1.7 million children in need of emergency education, and 6.4 million people in need of health and protection services(1). Many non-government organisations (NGOs) work in South Sudan to provide support in order to keep providing basic and life-saving services to its people. Children continue to face abuse, exploitation, sexual violence and recruitment into armed groups, especially given the lack of alternative options such as regular education. While political negotiations continue, and are needed to end the suffering, they are unlikely to yield rapid improvements on the ground, so the work of NGOs is vital.

What is the impact of the conflict on children?

There are an estimated 800,000 children displaced within South Sudan(2). Each of these children is at increased risk due to the often unsanitary and unsafe living conditions they find themselves in, and due to the ways in which they resort to supporting themselves and their families. Their basic needs are often not met, leading to acute and sometimes chronic health and psychological problems. More than 7,500 children have been registered as separated from their families on a national database(3), which means they are often unsupervised, fending for themselves, or are not provided for in the way they would be by primary caregivers.

Many of the children who have been displaced due to the conflict have not only been forced to flee their homes, they have lost family and friends in brutal attacks and extreme violence, often bearing witness to these tragedies. In the last year, 12,000 children have been recruited into armed groups(4). At CCC, we have supported children who have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as recurring dreams, intrusive thoughts, and intensified startle response to loud noises.To recover from the effects of the conflict, children need psychosocial support as well as protection from further violations.

What is Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) doing?

Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) is the only residential care facility for children affected by gender-based violence, as well as those affected by conflict and violence. We provide a safe place for children to stay at our care centre, where they are treated as individuals so that their personal circumstances are catered to. Each child goes to school, is provided with regular meals, health care and psychosocial support, as well as some individual cases who receive physiotherapy or extra-curricular support. We also provide outreach services within local communities whereby we engage women’s groups and youth groups in awareness-raising activities around gender-based violence (GBV) and child protection concerns, in order to try to reduce the prevalence and increase the reporting of such incidents.

CCC supports the reunification of children with their families where it is in the best interest of the child to do so. We also support hundreds of children to attend school through financial and practical support, as well as providing a child-friendly space (CFS) for vulnerable children in local communities. CCC treats every child as an individual, and their story as unique, in order to provide the most appropriate care for them in the most difficult of circumstances.

How can I help?

You can help by giving as little or as much as you can, because all the money you send goes into ensuring the children at the Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) centre and those we support in the communities, receive the best care we can possibly give. Please donate via our PayPal (button). You can also visit our Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages where we will keep you updated regarding volunteering opportunities. You may also be interested in subscribing to our mailchimp for updates & newsletters.

What are the concerns around the protection of children in South Sudan?

The conflict in South Sudan has taken away children’s childhoods. Before the conflict, there were difficulties with regards to living conditions, economic advancement and education which all influenced children’s lives, however this situation has been exacerbated by the ongoing violence and unpredictable situation in-country. With around 1.7 million children in need of emergency education, and 6.4 million people in need of health and protection services(5), we are painfully aware of how children have been impacted upon due to this crisis. It is clear that the need for protection is paramount, due to the increase in cases of abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation against children.

There are an estimated 800,000 children displaced within South Sudan(6). Each of these children is at increased risk due to the often unsanitary and unsafe living conditions they find themselves in, and due to the ways in which they resort to supporting themselves and their families. Their basic needs are often not met, leading to acute and sometimes chronic health and psychological problems. More than 7,500 children have been registered as separated from their families on a national database(7), which means they are often unsupervised, fending for themselves, or are not provided for in the way they would be by primary caregivers.

Many of the children who have been displaced due to the conflict have not only been forced to flee their homes, they have lost family and friends in brutal attacks and extreme violence, often bearing witness to these tragedies. In the last year, 12,000 children have been recruited into armed groups(8). At CCC, we have supported children who have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as recurring dreams, intrusive thoughts, and intensified startle response to loud noises.To recover from the effects of the conflict, children need psychosocial support as well as protection from further violations.

What is the impact of the conflict on children’s health?

The direct impact of war on children’s health is quite evident in the country. Many children have become victim to gender-based and sexual violence, have received gunshot and knife/machete wounds, or have been physically abused in other ways. There are huge physical and psychological scars brought about by the conflict, and children bear the brunt of these wounds. Alongside the initial pain, there are often long-term consequences such as mental health issues, sexually-transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDs, as well as chronic pain and the need for prolonged treatment which is often unavailable in South Sudan.

Alongside the direct impacts of the conflict on children, there are secondary implications such as those resulting from overcrowding and poor sanitation due to displacement, which is aggravated by the rainy season between April and November. Water-borne and infectious diseases are common during these months, such as malaria, one of the biggest killers of children in South Sudan.

Before the violence erupted less than half (44%) of the population had access to any local health services at all and 1 in 10 children died before their fifth birthday. Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) provides individual care to children with health problems in order  to ensure they receive vital treatment for potentially life-threatening illnesses.

What is the impact of the conflict on children’s education?

Children are the future of South Sudan. Without an education they will be underequipped to be the change they want to see in their country. At Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) it is common for us to hear statements such as ‘we are the future leaders’. Without quality and regular education, these children’s potentials are unlikely to be fulfilled.

Schools in Juba, South Sudan opened for class in February 2015.

Many children will not be attending school this year. Since the conflict, which broke out in 2013, more than 1.7 million children and adolescents in South Sudan have been deprived of an education, due to displacement, lack of resources or overstretched education systems.  

The secondary school enrolment rate in South Sudan is less than 2%. Last year we learned that a South Sudanese adolescent girl was more likely to die in childbirth than to complete her primary school education. The little financial support and the few resources that are made available for children’s education are directed towards primary-school aged children, meaning that adolescents – young adults of the future – are somewhat left behind.

CCC is fundraising in order to try and support 600 children, identified as vulnerable and in need of educational support, to go to school. At CCC, we focus our attention and our resources on children of all ages. In this respect, we are attempting to make sure that the youth are not forgotten.

At CCC, we like to focus on each individual child. With this in mind, it is important to realise that funding a child to go to school involves more than just the tuition fees. We believe that children learn better when the situation is looked at holistically and not just in regard to paying fees, so we endeavour to provide all the relevant school materials, sanitary materials, and extra-curricular support in order to achieve a well-rounded education.

To sponsor a child to go to school for one year in South Sudan, costs on average, $370. Per month this is just $31 per child. This equates to almost exactly $1 a day.  

We know how much difference an education can make to the life of a child in South Sudan. Please help us, to help them, achieve their dreams.

If you would like to contribute towards the campaign, please donate via our PayPal page in one of the following currencies, stating ‘school fundraiser’ in the notes section: USD $, Euros €, GBP £, AUD $.

How long has Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) been in South Sudan?

CCC has been working in South Sudan since November 2007. We are based in Juba but we also support children accommodated by a partner organisation, Iris, in Yei, Central Equatoria. Several children are also supported to go to school in neighbouring countries.

What have the children at Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) experienced?

In order for a child to have ended up at CCC, they have had a difficult upbringing. Many of the children have experienced gender-based and sexual violence, with some of them experiencing long-term consequences of these violations such as life-threatening health conditions, psychological scars and trust issues. The vast majority of the children are ‘street children’ who have ended up living in often unsafe and unsanitary conditions on the streets, in markets, or in unsuitable and unstable accommodation. They have often had to fend for themselves by begging, being subjected to child labour or participating in sexual encounters for money to survive. There are children who have experienced physical war wounds such as machete or gunshot wounds, having been directly affected by the recent conflict. A lot of the children have lost one or both parents, or don’t have strong enough support networks to live out in the community by themselves.

CCC ensures that these children are provided with a safe space to play, learn, and grow into young adults. They go to school regularly, and often make the choice (and are supported) to go to boarding school further afield when they feel they are ready, in order to gain a quality education, giving them the best chance for the future.

Who are ‘street children’?

‘Street children’ are children who have ended up living in often unsafe and unsanitary conditions on the streets, in markets, or in unsuitable and unstable accommodation, usually due to displacement, economic insecurity and the lack of alternatives such as regular education. They have often had to fend for themselves by begging, being subjected to child labour or participating in sexual encounters for money to survive. Many of these children do not have parents, do not know where there parents are located, or do not have strong support networks in order to live, protected, in the community.

How do Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) help ‘street children’?

The vast majority of children at CCC are ‘street children’ who have ended up living in often unsafe and unsanitary conditions on the streets, in markets, or in unsuitable and unstable accommodation. They have often had to fend for themselves by begging, being subjected to child labour or participating in sexual encounters for money to survive.

CCC ensures that these children are provided with a safe space to play, learn, and grow into young adults. They go to school regularly, and often make the choice (and are supported) to go to boarding school further afield when they feel they are ready, in order to gain a quality education, giving them the best chance for the future. We maintain contact with relatives and support networks in the community where it is safe and appropriate to do so, and many of the children choose to stay at CCC over going back to the community full-time.

(1)   Humanitarian Response Plan

(2)   UNICEF

(3)   CPIMS

(4)   UNICEF

(5)   Humanitarian Response Plan

(6)   UNICEF

(7)   CPIMS

(8)   UNICEF