She dreams of drinking safe clean water without fear

Every morning, 10-year-old Ayen walks to the Sobat River with a bucket in her hand. The water looks calm and beautiful under the rising sun, but for families in Anackdiar Payam, it has never truly felt safe.

“Sometimes the water smells,” Ayen says softly. “But we still drink it because we have no other choice.”

Ayen and her family are among thousands of people displaced by conflict who now live in Anackdiar. They escaped violence from Adong hoping to find safety, but life has remained difficult.

“We thought life would get better when we arrived here,” says her mother, Nyajuma. “But we are still struggling.”

The family depends on the river for everything: drinking, cooking, washing, and cleaning. During the dry season, the water becomes dirty and muddy. When floods come, the river overflows and mixes with waste from flooded latrines, making the water even more dangerous.

A related UN release states that more than 1,000 children under five die every day from WASH-related diseases worldwide. https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/03/1134772

“When the floods come, everything mixes together,” Nyajuma explains. “But even then, we still have to drink the water.”

For Ayen, sickness has become part of everyday life. She often suffers from stomach pain, diarrhoea, and fever. Some days, she is too weak to play with her friends.

“I want to play every day,” she says. “But sometimes my body cannot.”

Even with these challenges, families in Anecdier continue to support each other. Children still laugh and play, and women work together to care for their families. But many people are exhausted from constant sickness and worry.

“We are tired,” Nyajuma says. “Tired of seeing our children suffer.”

For months, community leaders have asked for clean and safe water. Now, that hope is finally becoming real.

With support from the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund, World Vision has launched a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) project in Anackdiar. The project will provide safe water points, hygiene awareness sessions, and latrines built in safer areas to reduce contamination during floods.

To many people outside the community, these may seem like simple changes. But for families in Anackdiar, they mean a new beginning.

“We have waited for this moment for a long time,” says Tor Wuor, the head chief of Mijok Payam.

When the community heard about the project, many people smiled with relief and hope.

For Ayen, the dream is simple. “I will drink clean water,” she says with a bright smile. “Maybe I will not be sick again.”

She imagines waking up and walking to a nearby water point instead of the river. She imagines drinking water without fear.

Nyajuma also believes life can finally change. “If our children are healthy, they can learn, grow, and dream,” she shares.

At the local primary health care unit, Nurse Sunday Chol says many children come everyday suffering from stomach pain and diarrhoea caused by unsafe water.

“We receive about 10 cases every day,” he explains. “With clean water, I believe these cases will reduce.”

For months, the river has brought both life and danger to Anecdier. But now, a new chapter is beginning, one filled with hope, dignity, and the promise of safer tomorrows.

Story and Photo by: Scovia Faida Charles | Communications Officer