BOR - Twelve years after running for her life, Nyanin David Koch can still vividly recall every second of the three-kilometer journey to safety.
"I can still hear the echoes of gunshots,” recounts the 23-year-old. “At the age of 10, I could hardly comprehend what was going on. I simply followed my mother's instructions only to realize later that the place we called home had changed forever.”
Originally from Uror County in Jonglei, Nyanin and her family had moved to the State's capital, Bor, to try and improve their living conditions and seek economic opportunities. Little did they know that when civil war broke out in 2013, they would end up living in a camp for displaced families rather than building the better life they had dreamed of.
"In 2020, I relocated to another camp in Juba to pursue my academic studies with the hope of improving life for my family,” she explains. “Unfortunately, after completing high school, I couldn’t get the funding for tertiary education and ended up back in the camp in Bor where I have practically nothing to do except domestic tasks.”
It is not an easy environment in which to survive, let alone to thrive, with a lack of adequate shelter, food and basic services.
"Our family of 13 struggles to access basic needs, including water from the overcrowded water point. On a good day, we get two buckets, around 40 liters of water, which gives each of us just three liters a day,” she says. "The situation is so bad that you sometimes see women fighting to get more water because it is not enough. It is heartbreaking.”
Nyanin's experience reflects what many women in conflict affected communities are going through.
But she finds hope in the presence of the peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and the opportunities they have provided for her to learn important new skills.
"It’s not only because the UNMISS base is close to us, but the regular patrols they carry out within and around our camp give us a sense of security."
United Nations police officers visit the camp twice a day, interacting with community members to understand their security concerns and engaging with national police to boost protection efforts.
“To deter violence and enhance protection for one of the most vulnerable communities, we conduct regular on-site security assessments and provide the local authorities with actionable recommendations,” says Moses Okot, Patrol Team Leader for UNPOL in Bor.
The team also trains members of the displaced population in community policing, strengthening their skills in threat detection, and their ability to proactively engage with law enforcement agents.
For resilient Nyanin, all is not lost. She has transformed herself from being a victim of conflict to an agent of positive change.
Having attended a workshop on combatting gender-based violence, facilitated by UNMISS, she is fast becoming a gender equality champion and exploring how to pursue a career in this field.
"Our cultural beliefs place less value on women than on men. Sometimes we are denied our voice during community meetings, but women have rights too. We demand our right to speak out.”
Despite the significant obstacles she continues to face, Nyanin remains hopeful of a peaceful and equal South Sudan where she can reach her full potential in life.
“I am committed to doing my part, but achieving real change will take a collective effort, so let’s do this together!”
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By Angellah Mandoreba
