Vétérinaires sans Frontières (VSF) Germany, in collaboration with UNDP, organized a community dialogue on Monday to foster peace and improve livestock health in Bor County’s Anyidi Payam.
The event, held at Mareng cattle camp, brought together cattle keepers, Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWS), and local partners to address critical issues affecting the community.
John Michael Kuol, Project Officer for VSF Germany, said the main activities of the program included treatment and deworming of livestock, raising awareness about animal health, and promoting peace and community security through reconciliation and stabilization efforts.
“As RTRSF Partners, we work closely in our operations in Jonglei and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA). The cattle keepers and CAHWS valued the information they received from VSF Germany, UNDP, and other Bor partners,” he stated.
Kuol emphasized the community’s growing interest in peace, driven by the knowledge gained from UNDP and other national organization partners including Intrepid South Sudan (ISS) and Rural Outreach for Community Empowerment (ROCE) in Bor.
The event, part of the Community Violence Reduction Project Phase 2 funded by the Reconciliation Stabilization Resilience Trust Fund, featured a multifaceted program aimed at boosting both animal health and communal harmony.
Peruth Karungi, a Security Specialist with UNDP’s Access to Justice, Security, and Human Rights Strengthening Programme, said the challenges faced by the Anyidi Payam community include bandit attacks, cattle theft, and abductions.
“Through this dialogue, we reechoed the role of the youth in ensuring their community is safe and secure through patrols and use of alternatives to dispute resolution mechanisms,” she said.
Karungi also reported a general improvement in security in Anyidi, with fewer cases of murder, cattle rustling, and abductions during the project period.
The dialogue underscored the importance of community engagement in promoting peace and security, as well as the critical role of livestock health in the livelihoods of the people in Jonglei State.