By Deng Chol
In the bustling streets of Juba and the dusty alleys of capitals of states, unsettling sights haves become all too common.
Children, some as young as five, fending for themselves, sleeping on cardboard, begging for food, and dodging dangers most adults would find unbearable.
These are South Sudan’s street children, innocently born into a cycle of conflict, poverty, and abandonment.
Their future doesn’t have to remain bleak.
As a society, both within South Sudan and globally, we hold the power and responsibility to rewrite their story.
The Roots of the Crisis
South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation, born from years of struggle and hope, yet, its formative years have been plagued by civil conflict, economic hardship, and displacement.
Families have been torn apart, infrastructure devastated, and institutions crippled.
The result ? Tens of thousands of children forced onto the streets by war, orphanhood, domestic abuse and economic desperation.
Without access to basic necessities, education, or protection, these children are vulnerable to violence, exploitation, drug abuse, and disease.
The longer they remain on the streets, the harder it becomes for them to reintegrate into society.
But there is still hope and it begins with collective action.
What Can Be Done?
Invest in Safe Shelters and Rehabilitation Centers
At the most basic level, street children need a safe place to sleep, eat, and feel protected. Governments, NGOs, churches, and community leaders can collaborate to expand shelters and drop-in centers that offer food, medical care, and counseling.
Rehabilitation programs must go beyond short-term aid they should provide trauma healing, life skills training, and structured routines.
Access to Free, Inclusive Education
Education is the most powerful tool to break the cycle of poverty and street life. Governments and partners must work together to make education not just available but accessible through scholarships, and flexible schedules tailored for children who have missed years of schooling.
Schools must also be safe spaces where these children are welcomed, not stigmatized.
Family Reunification and Support Programs
Wherever possible, efforts should be made to reunite street children with extended family or foster homes.
But reunification must come with support: economic aid, parenting training, and regular monitoring.
Strengthening family units and preventing breakdowns is a vital step in ensuring that children never have to resort to the streets in the first place.
Legislative Protection and Child Rights Enforcement
South Sudan must strengthen and enforce child protection laws.
The legal system needs reforms that prioritize the welfare of children banning child labor, criminalizing abuse, and ensuring that no child is treated as a criminal simply for being homeless.
Police and local authorities must be trained in child protection protocols, not punishment.
Community-Based Solutions
Solutions must grow from within communities.
Local leaders, women’s groups, youth volunteers, and churches can play a vital role in identifying at-risk children, mediating family disputes, and creating mentorship networks. Empowered communities can offer the emotional and social safety nets that state systems often lack.
The Role of the International Community
While South Sudan must lead its efforts, international partners must not turn a blind eye.
Foreign aid must prioritize child welfare. Partnerships with UN agencies, international NGOs, and diaspora communities can amplify funding and technical support.
Global voices can also push for peace and political stability, without which no long-term solution can succeed.
A call to action
These children are not invisible. They are not disposable. They are South Sudan’s future scientists, teachers, doctors, and leaders. But they cannot rise without our help.
It is time to move from sympathy to action from momentary compassion to sustained commitment.
Whether you are a policymaker, a donor, a teacher, a faith leader, or simply a concerned citizen your voice, your effort, your resources can be part of the solution.
Let us come together to give South Sudan’s street children more than just survival.
Let’s give them dignity. Let’s give them opportunity. Let’s give them a future.
“Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.
Let us answer that appointment with courage, compassion, and conviction.