Young Voices in Kapoeta Trained by Save the Children to Demand Rights

(ABYEI/KAPOETA) – Hundreds of displaced children in the Abyei region are receiving vital support to recover from trauma and rebuild their lives, while young advocates in Kapoeta in Eastern Equatoria State are being trained to push for their own rights, as part of ongoing efforts to protect the nation’s youngest citizens.

In July 2026, in Miakol camp for internally displaced persons in Abyei, families who fled violence now live in severe overcrowding, with between four and seven families often sharing a single tent.

Despite these conditions, children are showing great courage. Save the Children South Sudan runs a Child Friendly Space there, supported by the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as UN OCHA.

At this centre, boys and girls take part in art, games and other activities, and receive psychosocial care to help them heal from the distress of displacement.

A 12 year old girl named Sara said she feels happy, safe and able to make new friends when she is at the space.

Save the Children stated that every child deserves a place where they feel safe, heard and free to be a child, adding that together, communities and partners can keep creating spaces where hope grows, even in the most difficult circumstances.

In a related development in June 2026, Save the Children South Sudan, with funding from the European Union in South Sudan through its EU INTPA programme, held a one day training and interactive workshop in Kapoeta, Eastern Equatoria State.

The workshop brought together 57 children, 34 girls and 23 boys, from four schools across Kapoeta. The children are members of Child Rights Clubs and a Children’s Parliament.

They took part in sessions on child rights, leadership, communication and advocacy. Through group discussions and interactive activities, the children identified key challenges affecting their peers, analysed root causes and developed advocacy messages aimed at government authorities, community leaders and development partners.

These advocacy messages have been received by the Speaker of the Children’s Parliament and are currently being used to engage relevant authorities at higher levels.

According to Save the Children, the activity improved the children’s understanding of their rights, strengthened their leadership skills and boosted their confidence to take part in decision making processes that affect their lives:

It also highlighted the importance of meaningful child participation in promoting child protection and positive change within communities.

As part of this push, young parliamentarians are hosting a live programme on Eye Radio every Saturday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, where they question key decision makers on issues raised by children through Child Rights Clubs from across South Sudan.