The public declaration brought together government officials, traditional leaders, women, youth, persons with disabilities, civil society organizations, security actors, and community members who collectively reaffirmed their commitment to creating safer, more inclusive communities where violence is not tolerated and every individual is treated with dignity and respect.

Community Voices Reflect Positive Change

One of the most powerful moments of the event came through testimonies from community members who shared how the Community Care Programme has transformed relationships and strengthened social cohesion.

A community discussion leader noted:

"Here in Kabu, civilians were never friends with the police or any uniformed personnel, but this programme has helped improve our relationship."

Another participant highlighted the programme's impact within families:

"The programme has reduced fights in homes because families have learned better ways of solving problems peacefully."

A third participant expressed appreciation for the increased engagement between communities and public institutions:

"If it was not for this organisation, the government would not have thought of visiting us in our community. Today, we are happy to meet our leaders."

These testimonies demonstrate how the Community Care Programme is fostering trust between communities and government institutions while encouraging dialogue, accountability, and peaceful conflict resolution.

Addressing the Challenges Communities Continue to Face

While celebrating these achievements, community members also highlighted the severe development challenges that continue to affect daily life in Kabu South.

Home to more than 7,300 residents, the majority of whom are women and children, Kabu South lacks a functional road network, a health facility, schools, and sufficient access to safe drinking water, with only two boreholes serving the entire community.

These infrastructure gaps have devastating consequences. Families are often forced to transport critically ill patients for hours using wheelbarrows and bicycles before reaching available transport. Women experiencing pregnancy-related emergencies face significant delays in accessing healthcare, placing their lives at considerable risk.

Community leaders reported that at least five pregnant women lost their lives last year during emergency referrals due to the lack of accessible healthcare and transportation, underscoring the urgent need for investment in essential public services.

Investing in Communities to End Violence

Speaking during the event, WOJE Executive Director Zabib Musa Loro emphasized that preventing violence requires more than awareness campaigns.

She called for stronger protection systems, quality education, accessible healthcare, improved infrastructure, and sustained efforts to eliminate harmful social norms and practices that continue to expose women and girls to violence and discrimination.

She emphasized that empowering communities, strengthening local leadership, and improving access to essential services are fundamental to achieving lasting peace, protection, and gender equality.

A Shared Commitment to Safer Communities

The Community Care Programme continues to demonstrate that sustainable change is possible when communities are empowered to challenge harmful social norms, strengthen local protection mechanisms, and work collaboratively with government institutions and security actors.

However, community resilience must be supported by continued investment in roads, healthcare, education, clean water, security services, and other critical infrastructure to ensure that every individual can live safely and access opportunities for a better future.

As Kabu South publicly declared its commitment to ending violence and promoting peaceful coexistence, the event marked not only a celebration of progress but also a renewed call for collective action and sustained partnership.

Women for Justice and Equality extends its sincere appreciation to the Government of Central Equatoria State, Juba County authorities, traditional leaders, community members, UNICEF, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and all partners whose collaboration made this important milestone possible.

Together, we continue building communities where women and girls live free from violence, families resolve conflicts peacefully, and every person has the opportunity to thrive in safety, dignity, and equality.

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