Telling the ECSA Story

Alek demonstrating her bead work of the South Sudan flag/ CARE South Sudan   In the heart of Panyagor, Twic East County, a tale of strength, perseverance, and the life-changing potential of acquiring new skills is told. 52-year-old Alek Aduom Akur’s journey intertwined with the EU-ECHO-funded project " Provision of integrated primary health care, nutrition, WASH, and protection services to conflict-affected and vulnerable populations of South Sudan" in 2023 when she started attending a CARE supported Women and Girls Friendly Space (WGFS) in Panyagor. The space provides women and girls with GBV support activities, information services and income-generating skills such as bread making, knitting, beads and bed sheet making. Alek as one of the many beneficiaries supported under Protection related services in the WGFS, has benefited not only from GBV support but also economic opportunities to contribute to self-sufficiency and resilience.  Before the project, Alek, a mother and wi

Makila showing his wife how to use a smartphone he bought for her in the backyard of their home in Mboko. CARE Makila and his wife Majaliwa live in Mboko, a village in the Fizi territory of South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This region is marked by decades of violent conflicts leading to multisector needs, including protection. Inequality between women, girls, men, and boys is prevalent in this community, with women and girls bearing the weight of household chores rooted in traditional norms that exclude them from the management of the households. Makila grew up in a family that made it clear to him that the male child has all the advantages over the girl child, and he took that in his marriage.  “I was born in a family that prized and valued boys, and my sisters took care of almost everything. I wasn't supposed to cook or farm, just play soccer. I grew up with this mentality until I became an adult, got married and today I'm the father of 12 childr

  “Climate change is mostly affecting women – C ARE is a good organi s ation; it gave us good training and built us this hay store. It trained us how to grind the remains of maize stalk to make livestock feeds and how to produce charcoal. ”   Sharifa Abdi in her home. CARE/Alex Kamweru Sharifa Abdi is a mother and housewife . S he lives in Mandera, one of the driest, harshest regions in Kenya . E very day , she is forced to live with the devastating impact of climate change: “ It’s taking place in that we are experiencing heavy winds of late , and later the sun will turn hot and then there will be no rain for two seasons. Once you experience an extreme hot season for long, it will likely be followed by rains.”   Sharifa and her community in Mandera are also affected by the constant threat of economic instability and the impacts of deforestation , leading to a chronic lack of natural resources, widespread poverty, and extreme violence. Th is area is amongst the most economica