Eleven women from the Lakes State’s eight counties have concluded a training on peace building, reconciliation and coexistence at Pacong Payam of Rumbek East.
The three-day training, supported by the Peace Canal, through the Ministry of Peacebuilding, concluded on Thursday.
Helen Aping Nanhom-jong from Rumbek East County expressed her gratitude on behalf of the Rumbek East County women for the training.
We are very happy to have had a chance to share our pains as women. We have many challenges as we are often not given an equal chance with men in the peacebuilding initiatives, she said.
“I want us to be included in making peace. We want to be involved in making peace in the cattle camps, because women have more challenges but we talk better than men,” she said.
Lakes State Peace Building Minister Nyanhok Malou Marial said it had been a wonderful three days’ training the women on how to forgive each other.
She said Rumbek East was one of the counties that had gone through a lot and was home to many widows and orphans.
“You have to advocate for peace to raise these children in a peaceful environment to educate them, to farm and support your family,” he said.
The minister said he knew the pain the women had gone through but urged them to use the experience to pursue peace in Lakes State and South Sudan.
“You have the power because most of the time women were part of whatever went wrong in our community. Women were part of it by sharing information,” he said.
The Greater Rumbek Peace Canal Coordinator, Mary Aruon Gol, said the program was being funded by the Peace Building Opportunities Fund, UK.
Gol said many Agar community women were affected during the inter-communal conflicts that occurred some years back.
“So, Peace Canal and POF sat down and discussed the need to help the widows and the orphans, to participate meaningfully in all the peace building processes,” she said.
Acting Pacong Payam Payam Administrator Peter Marual Mayom congratulated the women
and thanked the partners for organizing the training.
“I am very happy the peace training for the women in the Greater Pacong has enlightened us and we want it to be continued in Pacong,” he said.
Rumbek East County, he further said, should participate in all activities of peace under the leadership of the Commissioner.
“We also request our peace partners in Lakes State that this initiative should be extended to all areas which have been affected by criminals.
“We can engage this team to go outside and embrace peace. We do not want any violence again in Lakes State. We want all eight the eight counties of Lakes State to be in peace,” he said.