Faith and development builds bridges between divided families in Tonj North County

In Pagol Payam, Tonj North County, the shadow of intercommunal conflicts once held back community progress. Restricted movement significantly affected the bond holding communities together. Rev. Mary Awien recalls how her people were divided along tribal lines. “Our people have been living in fear for years now. Many were traumatised and stressed,” she recalls. 

Rev. Mary is the mother of two girls and thirteen grandchildren. She is a leader in the Anglican Church in Pagol Village. Rev. Mary preaches love, forgiveness, and peaceful coexistence in her community. Beyond her pastoral role, Rev. Mary is well known for providing counselling for families divided by conflict. 

World Vision, through the Faith and Development (F&D) programme, provided $16,000 to the Church Leaders Initiative for Peace (CLIP). With this fund, this local faith-based organisation has trained and mentored church leaders in the greater Bahr el Ghazal region. In Tonj North County, Warrap State alone, about 300 church leaders have been trained, and more than 1,620 community members have been reached. 

Rev. Mary was one of those faith-based leaders trained. She now leads peace dialogues for the Leer and Nyang communities in Lurcuk village. These communities had been in conflict for nearly three years (since 2021 until 2023) because of land disputes. The conflict had led to loss of lives, destruction of properties, displacement of women and children, and later cattle raiding. Access to the shared market was blocked. 

Rev. Mary says, "Peace is the only weapon that can restore South Sudan again. If we shoot, our country can be greater than it is now. Leer and Nyang must shoot that bullet of peace to the whole of Tonj North County and beyond.” 

These gatherings became powerful platforms where religious leaders shared messages of unity and forgiveness.

The impact of the fund has been clear. “People are trading together now at Lurcuk market, which was not there before. Children can now play together and move freely, Rev. Mary expresses. This freedom of movement shows how faith‑based peacebuilding can break barriers and build bridges.

Songs composed by local artists also carry peace messages and play an important role. Rev. Mary says that some of the local songs encourage people to reconcile with one another. Rev. Mary’s vision is hopeful. “I promise to work toward peace since I realised that peace is freedom and development. My community is very happy to stay and work for peace since conflict is harmful.”

About Faith and Development 

Our Faith and Development aims to empower staff to live out their Christian faith and calling with boldness and humility, integrate faith in programming, and empower communities, partners and faith leaders. This is done through Empowered Worldview; Celebrating Families Curriculum; Channel of Hope – Restore; Do No Harm/IPACS; and Wisdom that Saves. At the heart of this is a commitment to nurturing staff spiritually and (b) nurturing children spiritually. We believe that when staff live out their Christian faith and calling with humility and boldness, they serve communities with greater love, compassion, and integrity. At the same time, children grow in hope and dignity when their spiritual, physical, emotional, and social needs are cared for. 

Story by Pastor Lam Duop Lam/World Vision