October 13, 2022 – WPDI South Sudan is happy to announce a special partnership with DT Global through the USAID South Sudan-funded Shejeh Salam (“Let’s Support Peace”) Project, a partnership that kicked off earlier this year. Thanks to their support, WPDI has launched a six-month Peace through Sports activity in Budi, through which WPDI has created 16 teams in four counties to participate in sporting competitions. These events will help contribute to raising awareness of the benefits of teamwork and reconciliation among young people through sports.
To kick-off the project, Shejeh Salam provided essential sporting and other equipment, and engaged with local youths to prepare for a cash-for-work scheme and activities at the associated football playing fields. WPDI, for its part, identified the vulnerable and at-risk young men and women – selected from the diverse communities in Budi County – who have been taking part in the Peace through Sports project. This groundwork includes initiating cooperation with Budi-based representatives of the DT Global-funded Trauma Awareness and Healing Alliance (TAHA) as well as local authorities, notably the Governor of Eastern Equatoria State and the State Minister for Youth, Culture and Sports. All stakeholders have praised the initiative as a unique path to work across conflict lines, insisting that coaches and participating youth be trained in such a way that skills and knowledge are transferable and thereby passed on.
The initiative was launched on July 2nd, 2022, with 272 people, including 136 females. The Executive Director for Budi County, Mr. Alfred Odong, was present and thanked WPDI and the donors on behalf of the Budi Local government administration for Supporting Sports for Peace Activities in Budi County. He added “Sport for Peace is the first of this kind of project to be implemented in this county. Sports can be a unifying factor for all people of different ethnicities, cultures and age groups. You can see, as we launch this project, we have all the age groups, both old and young, participating in the games together, forgetting about drinking alcohol, which can sometimes cause problems in the area. Now in Chukudum town, at least there is no idleness as both young and old are engaged in watching games as a way of leisure and making new friends.” In his conclusion remarks, he expresses his support to ensure that the Youths acquire land for sports activities.
At the event, WPDI together with the South Sudan football Association (SSFA) awarded certificates to 29 referees and 12 administrators. These certificates were designed by the South Sudan Football association to enable them to be recognized in the world of football not only in South Sudan but all over the world.
All the actors participating in the project have great hopes for this joint initiative. “USAID Shejeh Salam is happy partnering with the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, who have now developed a long track record of implementing peacebuilding activities in South Sudan. They have successfully implemented sports programming with USAID in the past, and we look forward to this program contributing to social cohesion and peace in Eastern Equatoria,” said Aaron Shapiro of DT Global.
Indeed, as the Peace Through Sports program has always proven highly effective at mobilizing and, above all, empowering young people from difficult backgrounds, including in camps for displaced persons in South Sudan and Uganda, WPDI is very excited for this opportunity to expand the program to new places where communities aspire to reap the dividends of peace and reconciliation.
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