17�Թ���

LAKES - Sliding along slippery roads and navigating thick mud waiting to trap the toughest of Land Cruisers, a determined team of peacekeepers use shovels, winches and pure grit to push their convoy through the slurry of soil and water.

They struggle knee-deep in mud to clean tire grooves for better traction, constantly wiping mud off windshields to ensure visibility, and slowly guiding fellow drivers along the best track.

With patience and persistence, this committed team from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan finally reaches their destination, Maper, where the community has felt isolated and vulnerable due to extraordinarily heavy seasonal rains.

It is not just about the journey. It is all about the purpose: to listen and respond to the concerns and needs of the people.

First stop is the police station, where they meet security forces and county authorities.

According to Police Chief Inspector, Majak Alapayo Ador, sporadic attacks by armed youth from Panyijar have decreased slightly due to the rains and inaccessible roads, but insecurity and fear remains.

“W�� need your help to talk with our neighbours in Panyijar in a peace dialogue before the end of the rainy season,” he says to the 17�Թ��� team. “Our transporters are being ambushed by armed youth, trading has nearly halted, and many businesses are suffering.”

A recent attack that resulted in the death of five transporters had a ripple effect across the entire county. Traders are afraid to move along the roads, restricting access to food and basic goods in remote payams like Mayendit. This has left many families without income or a reliable supply of food.

After a full day of discussions with a wide variety of stakeholders, a young girl shyly approaches the peacekeepers, asking if they will visit again soon because local vendors need help constructing a shaded market space.

She asks them to follow her to an area where around 15 women vendors are selling tea, fruit, sorgum, dried fish, and maize under a Lulu tree.

“W�� are selling under the tree to hide from the rain and sun,” explains vendor, Nyayiel Yook. “Our fruits and vegetables rot fast and we are losing money.”

A dedicated space for vendors will extend the shelf life of their products and encourage trade with neighbouring payams, she says.

“W�� are not asking for handouts,” adds Angelina Lou, who sells tea and mandazi. “W�� are hardworking and self-reliant women, but building such a structure is beyond our means. If it is provided, we will take responsibility and manage and maintain it together.”

17�Թ��� deputy patrol leader, Fatmata Mamie Henrietta Deen-Kanu, appreciates their go-getter spirit and says the team will try to include the proposal in an upcoming Quick Impact Project assessment, under which small scale infrastructure can be funded to improve community resilience and support peacebuilding.

Tired but satisfied, the team makes the long journey back to the field office with a sense of purpose and responsibility, having defeated a rough road and even rougher weather to reach those they serve.

They leave inspired by the resilience of those they met, who continue to choose peace despite repeated provocations by armed gangs, as well as the hardworking women who overcome all odds to support their families and build a better future in one of South Sudan’s most underserved counties.