Israel
Humanitarian Group IsraAID To Provide Social Work Training in
South Sudan
By
Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency
Tel
Aviv --- February 28, 2012 .... On Thursday March 2, an IsraAID
humanitarian delegation of Israel experts will fly to Juba, South
Sudan.
IsraAID
will conduct the first ever Gender Based Violence (GBV) training
program for social workers in the newest African nation. This
Israeli humanitarian project was sponsored by a private family
foundation, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto and in cooperation
with FIRST and the Israel-based NGO Operation Blessing Israel,
During the
workshop, 30 South Sudanese social workers - who will be spread
around the Central Equatoria state (Juba region) - will receive
intensive training on the delivery of social work, gender-based
violence (GBV) and post-trauma assistance by three highly-skilled
and experienced Israel therapists.
The South
Sudanese social workers who will participate in the program work
with the most vulnerable communities in Juba - especially women
and girls who are victims (or at risk) of sexual abuse and other
forms of gender-based violence.
IsraAID's
team will train the entire staff of the leading local NGO Confident
Children out of Conflict, as well as the newly-hired social workers
of the Ministry of Social Development of Central Equatoria State.
The objective of the program is to enable the local social workers
to develop a solid understanding of GBV and acquire the skills
they need to address the numerous cases of sexual abuse and GBV
in Juba.
The organization
Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) provides a safe house
for abused or at-risk girls who come from the absolute slums of
Juba. The program enables the girls to receive three meals a day
and have access to counseling. The Center provides protection
from sexual predators and allows the girls to attend school. Over
the past five years, the CCC has gained tremendous respect and
influence within the Juba community. The training workshop will
enable the CCC staff to acquire the skills necessary to help more
than 400 kids - especially girls - at risk.
The local
civil society as well as state-level institutions in Central Equatoria
State identified GBV as one of the most important challenges facing
the region of Juba. Violence against women in Southern Sudan has
been exacerbated by decades of war and cultural practices that
undermine women's rights, such as polygamy, wife beating, payment
of high bride price, forced and early marriages, abduction of
girls and the culture of silence and stigma related to sexual
violence.
Local stakeholders
however deplore the lack of awareness, knowledge and capacity
on GBV in South Sudan. They recognize the urgent need for sensitization
and training of communities on women's rights women empowerment
and GBV to reduce levels of violence against women and girls and
improve their security and protection. The Director of the NGO
Confident Children out of Conflict admitted that the organization's
staff, while dealing with rape cases every day, does not have
the skills and knowledge to efficiently help and guide the girls.
"There
exists a significant gap between, on the one hand, the needs caused
by the high number of women and girls' abuses in Juba and, on
the other hand, the lack of personnel - both at the governmental
and NGO levels - who possess the psycho-social skills to address
GBV cases and provide the victims with the necessary support"
says Shachar Zahavi, Executive Director of IsraAID.
"There
is a clear need for capacity-building and guidance on GBV, post-trauma
assistance and psycho-social services for social workers and community
leaders."
Ultimately,
IsraAID's capacity-building programs in South Sudan seek t engage
Israeli expertise and know-how to support the local population
in its efforts to acquire and master the tools and skills necessary
for them to build strong foundations for their new nation.
On July 9,
2011 South Sudan declared its independence, thus becoming Africa's
54th nation. Israel
immediately recognized the new State and opened diplomatic
relations with Juba. Throughout the past decades, Israel significantly
contributed to the new nation's independence and built a relationship
of trust and cooperation with South Sudan. This long-standing
relationship offers unique and promising opportunities for partnerships
between both nations.
In the aftermath
of South Sudan's independence in August 2011, IsraAID, in partnership
with FIRST and the Israel-based NGO Operation Blessing Israel
sent a relief team to distribute vital relief items to assist
South Sudanese communities in the outskirts of Juba who were fleeing
the ongoing tensions and violence in the Northern provinces of
the new state.
More than
six months after the independence, the challenges facing South
Sudan remain colossal. While ongoing tensions with the Sudan in
the Northern provinces of the new state and internal violence
threaten its stability, the country has to build its institutions,
and address the pressing development needs of its population.
South Sudan remains one of the most underdeveloped countries of
the world.
"IsraAID
recognizes the dramatic opportunity for the organization - as
well as for Israel as a whole - to contribute to nation-building
and development in South Sudan through the transfer of Israeli
expertise," said Zahavi.
"Israel
benefits from unique 'know-how' and technologies in a wide range
of areas, and is therefore capable of organizing rich and impact-oriented
training programs in response to the local needs, while respecting
and promoting local ownership."
Since its
creation in 2001, IsraAID has coordinated and facilitated aid
programs all over the world, including: relief to cyclone victims
in Myanmar, long term aid programs for starving communities in
Malawi, reliefs efforts in Haiti and Japan, rehabilitation and
relief in South East Asia following the devastating tsunami, psycho-social
programs for Darfur refugees on the Chad-Sudan border and aid
to Somali war refugees in Kenya.
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