Wau -320 youth in Wau town graduated from a three-month training on prevention of Gender Base Violence and Gender Transformation skills, as a community-based peacebuilding exercise, supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) together with Community Empowerment for Progress (CEPO). 

The training programme was organized under the project Youth Action for Reduced Violence and Enhanced Social Cohesion, which facilitates gender-transformative engagement with young men and women at-risk of joining criminal groups. Through the programme youth participants addresses harmful masculinity ideas and practices, questioning attitudes and behaviors that underpin violence. Youth from different blocks within Wau Municipality were selected to participate in the 16 weeks training after a mapping of youth at risk groups.

The project engages youth to reflect on their gender attitudes to reduce violence while finding solutions for peace to prevail, cutting across gender, age and ethnic divisions, and enhancing social cohesion in Wau

Madelena Arkangelo, one of the youth participants said the training gave her a great opportunity to interact with other youth from different communities. 

“I have seen some good changes in my life. I could not interact with people from different communities, now I have realized the importance of socializing with other people to promote peace in our community”, said Madelena.

While addressing the graduates, the state CEPO representative, Franco Musa, urged them to go and train their communities on the skills they have acquired.
 “If you can imagine, the training was run by our youth groups, and they have managed to train 320 people, so I encourage all those who have been trained to go and share the new knowledge with the communities they come from,” said Franco.

The 320 youth participants, 160 male and 160 female, also benefitted from other complementary interventions on peacebuilding, mental health and psychosocial support and vocational skills which support their efforts for becoming self-reliant and contribute towards the development of their communities.

“Am very happy today to understand that our children have acquired these new skills of which they are able to pass it on to their fellow young people,” said Mary Gabriel, Director General in the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports.

The youth participants acquired skills in prevention from exposure to drugs and alcohol abuse, positive role of youth in development, basic leadership skills, communication skills, violence prevention, and response to Gender Based Violence, in particular Violence against Women and Girls.

The project “Youth Action for Reduced Violence and Enhanced Social Cohesion in Wau South Sudan” is implemented by IOM, UNESCO, and other national partners.  

The project is generously supported by the United Nations Secretary General’s UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).

For more information, please contact Nabie Loyce in IOM South Sudan. Tel: +211912380115, email: nloyce@iom.int