South Sudan Cooperation Program

Background information

The civil war in South Sudan has claimed over 400,000 lives since the end of 2013. Around 4.5 million people have fled since then and are living in camps outside and inside the country. Famine, plagues of locusts and flooding are exacerbating the misery in many parts of the country. State structures have largely collapsed, including educational and health facilities.

After nearly 50 years of civil war, people want nothing more than to live in peace. Mission 21 supports the peace commitment of its partner church, the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS), the Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency (PRDA) and the South Sudan Federation of Churches (SSCC), which launched the "Action Plan for Peace" in 2015.

Peace work runs like a thread through the work of our local partners. Originally based in the heavily war-affected and underdeveloped Greater Upper Nile region, PCOSS was itself forced to flee and now operates where the community is scattered - in other parts of the country, in camps for internally displaced persons and in refugee camps in neighboring states. It has resumed projects with admirable flexibility and is supporting the suffering population. Through its structure, the SSCC reaches people everywhere in the country. The churches are the only institution that still enjoys the trust of the population. In this way, our partner churches make a significant contribution to ensuring that the people of South Sudan do not give up and lose faith in peace and reconstruction.

Program Goals

Peacebuilding
Mission 21 supports the peace efforts of its partner church, the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan (PCOSS), and the South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC), which launched the "Action Plan for Peace" in 2016. This is perhaps the last chance for peace and new developments in South Sudan. Methodologically, the partner organization PCOSS relies on the principle of "training of trainers" by training leaders who pass on the knowledge. This reaches a wider section of the population. Participants in the training courses can discuss and try out non-violent conflict resolution and possibilities for reconciliation. They are encouraged to show reconciliation across ethnic boundaries so that stereotypes are weakened. In 2023, 85 "Peace Actors" were trained. Since PCOSS has been offering this training in South Sudan, there has been a decrease in retaliatory killings.

Empowering women
Living as a woman or girl in South Sudan brings with it numerous challenges. Women's voices are often underrepresented in male-dominated South Sudan. They are also exposed to increased
risk of violence and exploitation. Early marriages and forced marriages are common. In addition, the maternal mortality rate in South Sudan is one of the highest in the world. Many women support peace efforts. Experience shows that women are particularly successful in the area of peacebuilding. In order to strengthen the role of women and girls, they are being supported in many areas in the new program phase of Mission 21. In addition to support in the area of pastoral care, especially after domestic violence or dealing with war experiences, there is also a special focus on women in the area of theological education or vocational training. With a good education and an income, women have a higher status and more influence. Mission 21's support for a midwifery school makes an important contribution to improving the quality of life of mothers and children.

Projects of the cooperation program

Peacebuilding

179.1003: Peacebuilding and reconciliation work in South Sudann

Education

179.1010: Future through education: schools and children's center in South Sudan

179.1015: Education for social change and peace in South Sudan

179.1022: Midwifery school: Life for mothers and children

179.1028: Empowerment for women for a self-determined life in South Sudan

Income generation and agriculture

179.1021: Promotion of food sovereignty in South Sudan

Humanitarian action

179,1029 Humanitarian aid in South Sudan

Before Location

Mission 21 has had a coordination office in the South Sudanese capital Juba since 2018. Since July 2021, Florence Guliba Hakim has been the local country coordinator in Juba. The coordinators support the partners on site, travel to the projects and impart knowledge on project planning, implementation and evaluation. The focus is on training the staff of the partner organizations as well as on the innovation of the projects and the needs of the beneficiaries. This ensures the quality of the program work in the long term