Youth and Residents Unite to Keep Yei Clean to Restore Town’s Green Image

(YEI RIVER COUNTY) – Residents and youth in Yei Town have launched a voluntary street-cleaning campaign aimed at promoting a cleaner, greener, and healthier environment under the banner “Keep Yei Town Clean and Green.”

The initiative, spearheaded by Atlabara Football Club, began last week along Hospital Street and has since expanded to the road stretching from Freedom Square through Equity Bank to the South Sudan Revenue Authority offices. Organisers say the campaign will continue to Sobe, Dar-es-Salaam and other parts of the town in the coming weeks.

Speaking to Access Radio on Saturday, Arike Jackson, Chairperson of Atlabara Football Club, said the three-month campaign is the club’s way of giving back to the community while helping preserve Yei’s reputation as one of South Sudan’s most attractive towns.

“Yei is a growing town, and it is our responsibility to keep it clean,” Jackson said. “As football players and members of the community, we have united to carry out this clean-up exercise for three months. Our target is not only the town centre but also residential areas. This week we worked along the Freedom Square–Equity Bank road, and next week we will move to Sobe Street.”

The campaign involves collecting plastic bags, locally known as kaveras, removing rubbish, used water bottles, slashing overgrown vegetation along roadsides, clearing blocked drainage channels and disposing of waste in designated areas.

Despite strong public participation, organisers say the initiative faces challenges due to a shortage of essential equipment, including slashers, hoes, waste bins, reflector jackets and garbage collection trucks.

Jackson appealed to residents, businesses, development partners, government institutions and non-governmental organisations to support the effort by providing tools and equipment.

“Keeping Yei clean is a collective responsibility,” he said. “We call on companies, development partners, government agencies and NGOs to support us with rubbish containers, slashers, trucks and reflector jackets to help mobilise more young people and community members to participate in this important exercise.”

The initiative has received praise from local sports leaders. Isaac Mamur Scopas, Secretary-General of the Yei Football Association, commended Atlabara Football Club for taking the lead and encouraged other clubs to join the movement.

“Keeping Yei Town clean is everyone’s responsibility,” Scopas said. “I urge all football clubs to participate in this campaign as a way of giving back to the community. This voluntary initiative deserves support from all young people and the general public, and as a football association, we are committed to supporting it.”

Community members have also welcomed the campaign as a positive example of civic responsibility and unity.

Luko Gabriel, a resident who took part in the clean-up, said local development should be driven by the people themselves rather than waiting for outside assistance.

“The development of our country should start with us,” Gabriel said. “By taking part in this exercise, we are setting a good example for our children and promoting unity among the people of Yei. We want to help maintain the cleanliness of Yei, which is widely known as ‘Yei Small London.’”

Gabriel called on the public, business community and other stakeholders to turn out in large numbers for the next clean-up exercise scheduled for Saturday.

The campaign reflects growing community efforts to improve public sanitation, promote environmental stewardship and strengthen social cohesion in Yei Town through volunteerism and collective action.