VIABLE SUPPORT TO TRANSITION AND STABILITY (VISTAS) Q1 FY 2019 QUARTERLY REPORT OCTOBER 1 – DECEMBER 31, 2018

January 21, 2019 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by AECOM.

VIABLE SUPPORT TO TRANSITION AND STABILITY (VISTAS) Q1 FY 2019 QUARTERLY REPORT OCTOBER 1– DECEMBER 31, 2018

Contract No. AID-668-C-13-00004

Submitted to: USAID South Sudan

Prepared by: AECOM International Development

Prepared for: Office of Transition and Conflict Mitigation (OTCM), USAID South Sudan Mission American Embassy Juba, South Sudan

DISCLAIMER: The authors’ views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acronyms ...... iii I. Executive Summary ...... 1 Ii. Political And Security Landscape ...... 2 Iii. Program Strategy ...... 3 Iv. Program Highlights ...... 5 To Increase Space and Tools to Manage Conflict and Tensions ...... 5 To Build Cross-Line Interdependency to Promote Peaceful Coexistence ...... 12 To Promote a More Informed Community ...... 14 To Engage Communities in Trauma Awareness to Lay the Foundation for Healing And Reconciliation ...... 15 Program Challenges and Lessons Learned ...... 17 V. Impact ...... 18 Vi. Administration and Logistics ...... 28 HR & Administration ...... 28 Finances ...... 28 Logistics ...... 29 Procurement ...... 29 Annex A: Financial Information (For Internal Usaid Use Only) ...... 30 Annex B: Schedule of Upcoming Events ...... 31 Annex C: Region-Specific Information ...... 32 23 Completed Activities Worth $1.5 M - FY19 Q1 ...... 32 20 Cleared Activities Worth $1.4 M - FY19 Q1 ...... 32 Annex D: Progress on Indicator Targets ...... 33 Annex E-1: Success Story ...... 39 Annex E-2: Success Story ...... 40

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ACRONYMS

ACDF-SS Action for Children Development Foundation South Sudan AMA Assistance Mission for Africa AMELP Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan CAD Civil Affairs Division CCN Cooperating Country National CEPO Community Empowerment for Progress Organization CTSAMM Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism DRI Dialogue Research Initiative FAA Fixed Amount Awards HR Human Resources HRD Human Rights Documentation IDP Internally Displaced Person IGAD Intergovernmental Authority on Development IO In-opposition IOM International Organization for Migration IRC International Rescue Committee JBPDC Joint Border Peace Development Committee LOE Level of Effort MACAHWA Mading Aweil Community Animal Health Workers Association M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MS Morning Star NAS National Salvation Front NBG Northern Bahr el Ghazal NGO Non-Government Organization NSI National Social Insurance POC Protection of Civilians Site PV Photovoltaic System (solar power) R-ARCSS Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South RRC Sudan SPLA Relief and Rehabilitation Commission SSNDA Sudan People’s Liberation Army SSP South Sudanese National Democratic Alliance SSPDF South Sudanese Pound STTA South Sudan Peoples Defense Force (new name for SPLA) SSTO Short-term Technical Assistance TAP South Sudan Theater Organization UN Transition Activities Pool UNDSS United Nations UNHAS United Nations Department for Safety and Security UNMISS UN Humanitarian Air Service VISTAS United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan WFP Viable Support to Transition and Stability World Food Programme

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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On November 3, 2018, a series of peace celebrations were held in Juba, igniting a SUMMARY OF VISTAS PROGRAMMING cautious yet optimistic view of the current peace agreement and prompting IO forces Total # of Activities Cleared in FY19 Q1 20 to meet with their government counterparts in each of VISTAS’ “Roving locations” – Average Grant Size 69,141 Wau, Yei, Torit and Yambio on December 12th. As a result, there have been Total Value of Activities Cleared in FY19 Q1 1,388,282 agreements on free movement throughout these areas for anyone without a weapon or Program Funds Disbursed FY19 Q1 2,477,860.35 uniform, and the agreements are being respected at this time. This opens up new Program Funds Disbursed to Date 39,077,015 opportunities for VISTAS partners as they now have increased scope to move outside of town and to engage with more rural communities who have been affected by conflict. The optimistic mood has also spread to POCs with peaceful gatherings, for example, in Malakal and Juba. However, most residents have no plans for moving out of the POCs in the near future, with ongoing apprehension about security concerns, lack of homes to return to, and ongoing service provision in the POC, all providing a strong motivation to remain for the time being.

In general, the humanitarian, economic, security, human rights, and political situation in the country has not significantly improved as there is still no real investment coming into the country and many donors are still reluctant to consider projects apart from emergency relief. On December 14, 2018, the US imposed sanctions on three individuals whose actions have the purpose or effect of undermining peace, stability and security in South Sudan. The US also announced that they are reviewing its assistance to South Sudan to make sure that aid does not prolong the conflict. In December 2018, the South Sudanese Pound (SSP) was at 240 against the US Dollar (USD). There have been media outlets allegedly reporting that South Sudan and South Africa are in collaboration to reopen some of the Unity State oil fields and build a new oil refinery with a pipeline to Mombasa, but so far this is only on paper and no real work has commenced.

While the VISTAS 10-month extension period started and new grants were being developed and approved in the final quarter of last fiscal year, core implementation of grant activities began in Q1 2019, and the remaining 20 activities ($1.4 million) of the total 91 extension activities ($7.6 million) were approved. Of these 91 extension period activities, 23 ($1.5 million) were completed or closed and 68 ($6.1 million) are ongoing. These activities are taking place throughout all of VISTAS regions of operation and address the following programmatic clusters: Supporting Local Peace Actors/Initiatives (26%); Inter- and Intra-communal Peace Dialogues (18%); Media/providing access to accurate information (15%); Civil Society and HRD (15%); and Morning Star/trauma awareness (26%). The Operations team was busy procuring and transporting in-kind grants items to approximately 20 field sites, with 64 tons moved via chartered planes, 11 tons of material by river, and 10 tons by road.

VISTAS continued its focus on sustainability and capacity building as it integrated sustainment workshops and relevant skills building into activities with grantees across all programming clusters. In addition, VISTAS made great inroads integrating trauma awareness with activities supporting local peace initiatives and peace and migration dialogues. These efforts are strengthening implementation, as well as providing additional tools to peacefully resolve sub-national conflicts and increasing the potential for sustainment of these peaceful mechanisms.

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The M&E Team worked diligently to complete a round of surveys to collect and pool data at the program level for 11 new outcome indicators, as well as aggregate data for the seven output indicators carried over from previous periods. VISTAS mostly achieved or exceeded indicator targets for the quarter and cumulatively for the life of the project. A detailed assessment of the indicators in section V below and an overview of indicator results in Annex D underscore VISTAS contributions across all four of its peacebuilding and conflict mitigation objectives.

While ramping up and sustaining high implementation rates in Q1 2019, which will be continued well into Q2 2019, VISTAS has also been planning for the de-mobilization of all international and local staff and close-out of the program by May 8, 2019. An initial phase of dispositions were made for items no longer required due to the lighter footprint and reduced staffing was initiated during the last fiscal year. All staff have received de-mobilization dates, with the final two phases falling in March and April of 2019. An updated close-out plan and field office disposition plans were submitted to USAID, and VISTAS completed a draft disposition plan for Juba-based assets to be submitted in January 2019.

II. POLITICAL AND SECURITY LANDSCAPE The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) was signed on September 12, 2018 by President Salva Kiir and Opposition Leader Rick Machar. The South Sudanese National Democratic Alliance (SSNDA), of which Paul Malong and Thomas Cirillo are a part of, did not sign the agreement. R-ARCSS laid out a schedule of deadlines for certain milestones to be met; however, many of these deadlines have already been missed due to lack of funds and logistical impediments. According to the R-ARCSS, 162 separate requirements must be completed by 2022 and of this 162, 43 should have been completed by November 2018. Of the 43 requirements, only 16 were actually completed. The biggest concern was the failure to meet the requirements relating to security forces which were meant to be completed by the beginning of November 2018 deadline.

On December 13, 2018, the IGAD Special Envoy to South Sudan met with the SSNDA in Addis, led by Thomas Cirillo, to find out why they do not want to participate in the peace deal. According to the SSNDA, the peace deal will not work in the current manner it is setup. They continue to be a spoiler in the peace process and mainly operate in Central Equatoria, around Yei and Maridi, Kajo Keji and Lobonok and in Western Equatoria, around Mundri. The end of 2018 saw a rise in armed clashes around these areas, between the IO and NAS, as well as the SSPDF and NAS.

On a positive note, on November 4, 2018, a meeting was held between the SSPDF and IO which controls the areas around Juba. This meeting was held on the directive of the two Chiefs of Staff of the respective forces. During this meeting, it was agreed that there could be free movement of soldiers, as long as they were unarmed and wore civilian clothes. Additionally, they agreed to free movement of civilians, non-military logistics and goods through their respective territories. This meeting led to several similar meetings across South Sudan, which stopped the clashes between the SSPDF and IO forces.

The security situation briefly improved during the reporting period as crime decreased in October and November. However, in December petty crime against locals and internationals increased again, and saw a sharp spike around Christmas, with all major towns across the country reporting regular home invasions and personal robberies. To add, harassment of NGOs and the UN contractors persists, with vehicle stops by traffic police and National Security being the most common form of harassment. Outside of Juba, there are frequent attacks and robberies on commercial, UN contractors, or NGO convoys and vehicles leading to occasional fatalities.

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During Q1, violent clashes, inter-communal fighting, cattle raiding, and abductions were reported in Northern Liech, Unity, and Eastern Lake State around Yirol. A prominent chief was killed with his son on their way to a meeting venue where the inter-community peace dialogue between Eastern and Western Lakes states was taking place. The incident interrupted VISTAS activities causing NGOs and UN agencies to suspend their operations in the areas affected by the conflict. Harassments, assaults and general criminality continued in Bentiu POC.

With the opening up of the Pibor River, cross-border interactions and trade heightened between Murle and Lou-Nuer in the Akobo region. In October, five boats hired by WFP from Gambella, Ethiopia, transported more than 200 tons of food from Akobo to Lokormach through the Pibor River. In addition, twenty-six Lou-Nuer traders from Akobo took advantage of the voyage and traveled to Lekuangole to buy goods from the Murle. Despite this increased interaction, six weeks after opening the river, Murle youth killed six Lou-Nuer traders, stifling the advancement towards a peaceful coexistence between the two communities.

The borders of Pibor remained volatile due to criminal activities of youth. The relationship between the Jie and Murle of Labarab and Maruwo were strained by numerous deadly cattle raiding incidents that led to many fatalities and thousands of cattle stolen. The prevailing insecurity has made it impossible for community leaders to implement resolutions of the USAID/VISTAS supported peace dialogue meeting attended by Jie, Murle, Kachipo, and Toposa in Jebel Boma in October 2018. Murle youth also raided cattle in Bor, Twic East and Duk counties. However, Governor David Yau Yau has been traversing Murle land collecting stolen cattle and abducted children and returning them to their rightful owners. On December 12, David Yau Yau returned forty cows and three children in Anyidi in the presence of Governor Philip Aguer, county commissioners, paramount chiefs from both Pibor and Jonglei, and VISTAS and UNMISS staff.

III. PROGRAM STRATEGY VISTAS identifies three levels of interconnected conflict in South Sudan: 1) conflict between the political and military elites in the SPLM/A & SPLM/A-IO; 2) community-level conflict often centered on access to resources (including cattle, land, pasture, and water); and, 3) conflicts characterized as ‘citizen vs state,’ impacting populations that feel marginalized and aggrieved by the national- or state-level governments.

VISTAS focuses on local-level intra- and inter-communal stabilization and transition efforts by mitigating political and social volatility and reducing communities’ vulnerability to violence. VISTAS operates in six regions (Greater Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Unity, and Upper Nile) that are critical to the political stability of the country. The program strategically places its offices to help local partners advance peace by seizing critical windows of opportunity. VISTAS works through the following objectives: A. To increase space and tools to manage conflict and tensions. B. To promote a more informed community. C. To build cross-line interdependency to promote peaceful coexistence. D. To engage communities in trauma awareness to lay the foundation for healing and reconciliation.

Along with the overall objectives, each of the six regions develops its own regional strategy that identifies the key contextual issues and sub-objectives to address those issues, in line with the overall VISTAS objectives.

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Morning Star

The Morning Star strategy continued to focus on the expansion and deepening of Morning Star trauma awareness across South Sudan. In FY19 Q1, efforts were made to continue the implementation of various Morning Star Trauma awareness tools in all regions where VISTAS has a presence by applying a more intentional approach to integrating Morning Star into peace dialogues. In addition, the strategy comprised of development, pretesting and piloting of two targeted tools, the Peer Support Groups Program and Morning Star for Primary Health Care Providers.

In this quarter, nine grants were implemented in all regions. The grants provide for the continuous engagement of twenty full time Master Trainers, two Morning Star national staff, and the implementation of Morning Star activities. Complementary trauma awareness activities through theater activities were expanded to four other regional locations across the country, involving more than forty actors and actresses from regional based drama groups. The theater tools for trauma awareness was implemented through South Sudan Theater Organization (SSTO), who are responsible for training the regional based theater teams and supervision of street theater performances.

Regional

As in the past, the regional strategies continued to be context driven. Grants under implementation during Q1 have largely been designed with the end of VISTAS in mind – thus increased thought towards grantee sustainability and ability to operate after VISTAS support ends.

In Lakes, attention was focused on building and improving community relations to promote peace and reconciliation. The activities conducted were follow-on grants supplementing previous activities, especially community peace dialogues, media outreach, and trauma awareness. Grantee capacity building trainings or sessions were incorporated in these activities to increase grantee sustainability.

Similarly, in Upper Nile, the regional strategy built on previous grants and sustainability. For example, the Malakal PoC Solar Lights Management (UPN076), which was a follow-on grant to Solar Lights for the Malakal PoC (UPNO29). To enhance sustainability, 40 youth were trained by VISTAS on solar light maintenance and management skills in order repair the lights once VISTAS closes.

In Unity, the program strategy remains consistent as conflict dynamics remained largely the same, with some recent changes yet to play out in connection with R-ARCSS. In accordance to political, security, and social contexts of former Unity state, the regional strategy is effective as most conflicts have been addressed through community dialogues, peacebuilding initiatives, and trauma awareness. The Unity regional program strategy emphasizes greater interaction between communities across and within the tribal divides. The outcome objectives address historic differences between tribes and between clans which have been exacerbated and ingrained by the civil war that erupted in December 2013. The second regional outcome is to increase economic opportunity and activity within Unity State. This outcome intends to address the economic deprivation leaving Unity’s youth vulnerable to the lures of mobilization into the armed services or militia groups, participation in cattle raids, or other forms of criminality in order to make ends meet. Lastly, the regional outcome intends to address communities in trauma awareness to lay the foundation for individual and community healing and reconciliation.

In NBG, the strategy focused on implementation geared towards achieving regional outcomes: Outcome #1 Strengthened relationships among cross border communities through peaceful cattle migration (supporting JBPDC and migration conferences via NBG080 and NBG081); Outcome #2 Increased Youth Engagement in activities that provide an alternative to violence; Outcome #3 Increased Communities’

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access to reliable and accurate information (distribution of radios via NBG082) Outcome #4 Increased Trauma awareness and Resilience to Communities (Morning Star sessions via MOR060); factoring in sustainability aspects, blended with key grantees’ capacity enhancement (support to Literacy at the Well Women’s Center and MACAHWA via NBG085 and NBG072) as VISTAS winds up, congruent to our grants’ portfolio. However, it became evident in Q1 that the regional team could do more to support youth engagement in line with Outcome #2, thus NBG088-NBG Regional Youth Conference was designed and approved to properly balance our grants’ portfolio in the light of the regional strategy and its outcomes.

In Juba and the Equatorias, various grants to support grantee operations were greenlit to provide PV systems and office equipment, which can support grantees to operate professionally, engage with other donors and conduct small scale activities even without external support; provision of materials which will support grantees and beneficiaries into the future (cultural dance items in Juba POC; sports equipment for the martial arts association); and both formal and informal capacity building of partners. The emphasis of activities has remained the same, with media, local civil society and peacebuilding activities making up the Juba and Roving portfolio. Q1 has also seen approval to implement the first ever Torit grant, which will provide material support to the Inter-Religious Council of Torit, capacitating them as they continue to act as facilitators and mediators in a range of local conflict issues – replicating VISTAS support for Interfaith Council for Peace in Yambio. MEMBERS OF A CULTURAL DANCE GROUP IN JUBA POC PERFORM DURING In Jonglei, the regional team continued building on A PEACE CELEBRATION IN DECEMBER. PHOTO BY AARON SHAPIRO. past activities, as well as the integration of trauma awareness among local partners and beneficiaries. For instance, JON158 was implemented to cement positive relations among members of the Dinka clans of Ayual, Dachuek and Awulian sections of the Dinka in Nyuak, Wangulei, Twic Central as a follow on to JON058. Murle and Dinka-Bor consultative meetings (JON157 and JON159) were a milestone, although they happened at the tail end of the program, VISTAS regional team is encouraging other peace actors to continue supporting the Murle and Dinka-Bor peace dialogues.

IV. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

TO INCREASE SPACE AND TOOLS TO MANAGE CONFLICT AND TENSIONS VISTAS uses peace dialogues to reaffirm the legitimacy of community leadership and customary authorities, particularly to mitigate conflicts and manage local agreements, over access to natural resources. VISTAS reinforces progress in strengthening inter-communal relationships through peace dialogues and by supporting follow-on activities that provide mutual economic and social benefits to communities. Under this objective, VISTAS cleared nine activities worth $448,815 in FY19 Q1. Key activities under this objective are highlighted below.

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VISTAS is supporting the Maale Heritage and Development Foundation, under JBA082, in a series of cultural events inside Juba POC. During this quarter, Maale have screened 46 South Sudanese or South Sudan related films, and held three large-scale cultural dance events in Juba POC – celebrating the International Day of Peace, the peace deal being signed in South Sudan, and Christmas/New Year’s respectively. Film screenings are conducted multiple times per week in the early evening and draw large crowds (upwards of 1,000 each time), and based on initial monitoring of the activity, it appears the majority of POC3 residents have seen at least one film during the course of the activity. FACILITATED DISCUSSION BEGINS AROUND THE FILM “ONE NATION, ONE On Wednesdays, Deng Nhial, Director of PEOPLE” IN JUBA POC IN NOVEMBER. PHOTO BY AARON SHAPIRO. Maale, links the film screenings to the culture class he teaches twice per week (supported under JBA084 the POC Lectures activity). After class he screens South Sudanese documentaries and then leads a facilitated discussion on the films. VISTAS staff attended one of these screenings and discussions around the film “One Nation, One People”1, which is a film about intermarriage between Nuer and Dinka. The film sparked an engaged conversation, with the largely Nuer audience engaging on the question of whether it was correct for intermarriage to happen in light of the past five years of civil war. While some participants felt the Nuer had been victimized and the practice should stop until blood compensation is paid, the majority of those who spoke out felt differently. One man summed it up saying, “We’ve been killing each other for many years, let’s not get hung up on who owes who compensation. Now’s the time for peace.”2 VISTAS support for Maale is largely a cash grant, wherein they are able to work directly with the different cultural groups in Juba POC to procure specific items desired for their uniforms and pay small sums to the volunteers who help organize the evening film screenings and act as ushers. VISTAS also provides fuel for film screenings, and provided a new computer and hard drive to complement the existing cinema kit.

1 Produced under the USAID SSTCM program. 2 Paraphrased from the Nuer.

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In Yei and Wau, VISTAS is implementing similar activities with the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), wherein CEPO identifies specific groups and issues to be addressed and brings them in for targeted workshops. Workshops this quarter have ranged from educating female civil society leaders in Wau about R-ARCSS, to teaching youth from across Yei-River State, including representatives from Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile youth groups, about trauma and peacebuilding concepts. In Yei, CEPO is linking the workshops to radio talk shows, where participants in workshops go on the radio and discuss issues relating to peace WORKSHOP CONDUCTED IN YEI BY CEPO IN NOVEMBER 2018 TARGETING COMMUNITY LEADERS IN YEI. PHOTO BY DANIEL FRIDAY, CEPO. and conflict in Yei.

To provide communities with the skills to manage conflict, VISTAS trained 150 members of women’s associations from the three states that make up former Lakes State. The women were trained in small business management skills that covered many topics such as fundraising, human resources, procurement, proposal writing, saving, and bookkeeping. The training also covered organizational structures, codes of conduct, MEMBERS OF WESTERN LAKES STATE WOMEN ASSOCIATION AFTER TRAINING AT WOMEN standard operating procedures RESOURCE CENTER IN RUMBEK. PHOTO BY KACHUOL DEER and anti-fraud measures. The purpose of the trainings was to provide women’s associations with the skills to enable them to run their organizations and implement peace building and resiliency programs supported by VISTAS or other donors.

Since 2016, VISTAS has supported these women’s associations with a range of grants from organizing conferences to infrastructure, and most recently with a grinding mill in Yirol. Due to a combination of the protracted conflict in South Sudan and cultural practices, women have been disadvantaged on political, economic and social spheres. Women’s associations often lack the skills and experience to manage their organizations. During the implementation of previous grants, VISTAS staff realized capacity gaps were impeding the long term sustainability of these activities. Therefore, in consultation with women leaders, VISTAS designed and implemented five-day intensive trainings for each women’s association in the three states. These trainings have boosted the women’s confidence immensely with some women having reported starting new tea making, catering services, beauty salons, and block making in Rumbek, Yirol and Cueibet. In addition to the training, VISTAS procured food items as a start- up kit for food catering businesses in each of the locations where training was conducted. The overall

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objective for supporting women’s associations is to empower women to have equal participation in political, social and economic processes and become champions of peace.

Ruweng is the only Dinka speaking state in former Unity state and borders the majority Nuer Northern Liech State. Historical injustices, cattle raiding, border feuds, land issues, and control of the oil fields in Unity have been the major problems between the two states and have the potential to cause large scale disruption and damage. To mitigate these issues, VISTAS, via the grantee Dialogue Research ROUND TABLE GROUP DISCUSSION DURING PREPARATORY MEETING IN RUBKONA COUNTY. Initiative (DRI), implemented a PHOTO TAKEN BY RAAN WILLIAM. series of forums where citizens are brought together to dialogue on the issues affecting them and their neighbors. Preparatory meetings have been conducted in many communities in Ruweng and Northern Liech states in the anticipation of the cross-border conference scheduled for January 2019 in Bentiu town. This conference will bring together women’s groups, religious and traditional leaders, youth, and government officials both from Ruweng and Norther Liech states. Preparatory meetings coupled with trauma awareness sessions are building a foundation to prepare these different groups for the forthcoming event. Through these preparatory forums, communities from both states have expressed their willingness to participate in the conference and they have expressed their willingness to settle their problem amicably through dispute resolution mechanisms rather than the use of violence.

In Northern Liech, years of fighting and displacement have severely weakened the customary law courts. Their offices, furniture, and structures have been vandalized, stolen, or destroyed. This has created a gap in a society where customary law is often more relevant to people’s live than the constitutional law. In order to support the customary courts, VISTAS, under UNI085, provided NORTHERN LIECH TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE OF DISCUSSION DURING THE capacity building and refresher ACTIVITY SUSTAINMENT WORKSHOP. PHOTO BY GABRIEL CHUOL workshops on Nuer customary laws for both residents of the POC and the existing court members in the Bentiu and Rubkona towns. Additionally, VISTAS procured and delivered office furniture to support the courts in Bentiu and Rubkona. The grant items are essential given the number of cases being heard each day by traditional leaders. The plastic chairs offer a conducive environment for disputes settlement and court hearings. Other grant items include record keeping books and safari tents for office and storage space. The trainings and furnishings have empowered the traditional leadership and provided them with much needed essential items to be able to conduct judicial proceedings.

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In Malakal, VISTAS partnered with local NGO Beyond 21 to facilitate peace dialogues between the leadership of the communities from Malakal town and the Malakal PoC leadership. In late September, town and PoC leadership decided to form an Inter-Religious Council (IRC). With VISTAS support, 45 leaders held a three-day consultation meeting to decide and agree on internal council guidelines, which was witnessed by VISTAS, UNMISS

CAD and Beyond 21. Since then, the MEMBERS OF THE POC AND MALAKAL TOWN JOINT PEACE COMMITTEE. PHOTO BY PUOT mistrust that existed between the MABOR PoC and Malakal town residents has reduced significantly, with credit being given to the positive preaching of IRC members in their respective churches and mosques. Currently, Dinka, Nuer, and Shiluk are moving freely between the PoC and Malakal town without any harassment.

Also in the Malakal PoC, as a follow- on to the installation of the solar lights under UPN029, VISTAS trained 40 youth, of which 10 were female, in the management and repair of solar lights. After the five-day training, the youth successfully repaired 32 broken solar lights under the supervision of a technician. These repairs have led to the improvement in security for over 29,000 IDPs living in the camp with reports of a reduction in the harassment of women walking to use bathrooms as well as a reduction in PARTICIPANTS IN A FIVE-DAY TRAINING SESSION THAT TAUGHT THEM HOW TO REPAIR petty crime in the areas that are well AND TROUBLESHOOT MALFUNCTIONING SOLAR LIGHTS. PHOTO BY PUOT MABOR lit. The youth who were trained have now formed a body known as PoC Electrical Committee to monitor and repair the lights going forward.

VISTAS’ Aweil office conducted a three-day pre-migration conference between Dinka Malual and Misseiriya communities to improve and strengthen the cross border and intercommunal relationships between the two communities. This conference was attended by more than 100 delegates and concluded with the signing of 16 resolutions meant to manage their relationship PARTICIPANTS AT DINKA MALUAL-MISSEIRIYA PRE-MIGRATION CONFERENCE, PHOTO BY CHOL CHANGATH and conflicts that arise during the

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migration season surrounding the sharing of natural resources. Community leaders signed the agreement under the auspices of local government leaders and the international community. Unlike past migration conferences that were more ceremonial in nature, this particular conference mended the strained relationship between the two communities after armed Misseiriya men attacked and stole 38 cattle from Aweil East. The Joint Border Peace Committee coordinated with government and community leaders to recover and return the 38 stolen cattle and three AK 47 riffles to their rightful owners.

VISTAS has also worked extensively with the local chiefs in NBG through the traditional authorities courts, recognizing the vital role they play in managing conflict. To build on past investments, VISTAS organized a series of conflict resolution trainings in Aroyo, Gok Machar, Marialbai, Warawar and Jac for over 50 chiefs. In many areas, chiefs act as community administrators, adjudicators and community representatives with a stronger base MARIALBAI CHIEFS LISTENING ATTENTIVELY TO TRAINER DURING THEIR CONFLICT of power and influence than local RESOLUTION SKILLS TRAINING SESSION-PHOTO BY GABRIEL KIIR government officials. However, when acting as judges in local courts, their focus is usually on the dispensation of justice for a particular case, rather than looking at how it affects the long term conflict dynamics. Therefore, at their request, VISTAS organized and implemented conflict resolution trainings to give the chiefs the knowledge and skills to move beyond sentencing and to resolve conflicts and reconcile their communities in order to achieve long lasting social cohesion.

During Q1, VISTAS implemented programs in some new areas, one of which was the remote town of Old Fangak. In Old Fangak, VISTAS provided administrative support to Women League of Old Fangak through the provision of office equipment and supplies including two desktops computers and a printer. Additionally, the Women’s League was provided with capacity building and training on IT, human resources, finance, and conflict resolution. The seven-day training imparted practical knowledge and TRAINEES FROM FANGAK WOMEN LEAGUE WHO ATTENDED VISTAS SUPPORTED WORKSHOP, NOV. 18, 2018 OLD FANGAK, skills to 100 women selected from the 8 PHOTO BY RUEI HOTH. payams including IDPs and those from the neighboring Dinka tribe of Pigi County and Shiluk of Tunja/Upper Nile state.

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Similarly in Old Fangak, VISTAS supported a seven-day peace dialogue between the Dinka, Nuer, and Shiluk. The main objective of the peace dialogue was to address the severe inter- communal fighting that led to the death of 14 youth at Juaiboor on October 23rd, 2018. In addition, the participants also discussed regularly occurring issues such as cattle theft, armed robbery, early child marriage, the proliferations of arms, and alcohol and drug abuse. The dialogue coincided with the 16 Days of Activism PARAMOUNT CHIEF, PAR CHONGRIAL (IN FRONT) AND THE LEADERS, NOVEMBER, Against Gender-Based Violence, which OLD FANGAK TOWN, PHOTO: RUEI HOTH allowed the moderators to facilitate a timely discussion on the topic. Attendees included 120 traditional and church leaders, youth, IDP leaders and local authorities. Representatives from Greater Akobo, Bentiu, and Nasir were also present.

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TO BUILD CROSS-LINE INTERDEPENDENCY TO PROMOTE PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE Interdependency through livestock and trade has a long history of connecting communities across conflict lines within South Sudan and with Sudan. Trade has been effective in connecting communities and facilitating mutually beneficial relationships that have proven to increase the resilience of communities to be mobilized into violence. During Q1, VISTAS cleared three activities worth $308,154.

During this quarter, VISTAS provided the Panyijiar Trader’s Union with market construction materials and a storage rub hall in order to improve trade infrastructure in Panyijiar. Ganyliel is an CONFERENCE DELEGATES DURING A GROUP DISCUSSION SESSION, PHOTO BY ADHIEU GAI important trade hub for Panyijiar as well as communities in Jonglei and Lakes. In the past, weak trade infrastructure and lack of storage space for goods drove up costs of trade and thus the cost of goods in the market, contributing to food insecurity and scarcity in the market. This activity was a follow-on to a series of dialogues and conferences previously supported by VISTAS in Ganyliel and Tayer, where traders from Jonglei, Panyijiar and Yirol East expressed the need for a market and storage facility. Through the provision of BOARD OF PANYIJIAR TRADER UNION POSING FOR A GROUP PHOTO IN FRONT OF construction materials, VISTAS was able THE NEWLY INSTALLED RUB HALL. PHOTO TAKEN BY GABRIEL CHUOL. to improve the trade infrastructure by reducing trading costs and market instability for communities in Unity, Lakes, and Jonglei. The installation of a rub hall has enabled traders to have more space for extra goods without concern for inclement weather conditions leading to less scarcity in the markets. The rub hall will be used by local traders as well as those traveling from Juba to Bor. The Panyijiar Trader’s Unions as well as other traders involved in this activity also attended the Tripartite Nile Trade Conference held in Bor in mid-December. Among the issues discussed was the use and management of the new Panyijiar facilities along with addressing conflict that has hindered trade in the past.

From December 4-6, 2018, the VISTAS regional team in Jonglei successfully completed the implementation of the three-day Tripartite Nile Trade Conference in Bor town. It was attended by 60 participants, including river traders from Fangak, Terekeka, Eastern Lakes – Shambe and Mingkaman, Southern Unity, Bor, Twic and Duk counties, representatives of the Peace and Reconciliation Commission, Traditional Authorities and State Government Officials. The conference was opened and closed by the State Advisor for Peace and Reconciliation, Hon. Isaac Mamer, who is also the former

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county commissioner of Bor County. However, the first day of the conference was quite tense due to accusations and threats among participants relating to previous quarrels and attacks involving traders along the river. Fortunately, the facilitators were able to take control and the delegates eventually managed to arrive at actionable resolutions on how to develop a culture of mutual understanding, tolerance, and dialogue to reduce inter-communal conflict and increase interdependency through trade among warring communities along the Nile.

In Akobo East County, VISTAS purchased, delivered, and distributed fishing nets to more than 1,200 cattle camp youths across six payams. The goal was to create and strengthen livelihoods that dissuade the youth from engaging in violent activities such as cattle raiding and revenge killing. The provision of the fishing equipment to cattle camp youth was a request of the cattle camp leaders during consultative meeting conducted in July 2017 between VISTAS Akobo Regional team and key youth leaders. The leaders made it clear that the lack of job opportunities and livelihood activities is a key driver of cattle CATTLE CAMP YOUTH LEADER TALKING TO HIS PEERS ABOUT FISHING raiding and crime among the youth. Since the SEPTEMBER 2018, AKOBO, PHOTO BY RUEI HOTH. implementation of this activity, Akobo has witnessed a reduction in criminal activities in town and across the borders which has been attributed by the locals to the fact that the youth are busy fishing. This support builds on years of programming in Akobo aiming to productively engage the youth.

On November 19-22, 2018, VISTAS conducted a four day dialogue meeting for Murle community leaders from Pibor, Kubal, Lekuangole, Vertet, and eight representatives from Jonglei state. The two communities have a history of mistrust and cross-border violence including cattle raiding, child abduction, and road ambushes. This activity was designed to address the root cause of the persistent cycle of cattle raiding, child DINKA-BOR YOUTH LEADER GIVING HIS REMARKS DURING JON157 MEETING abduction, and road ambushes. During the IN PIBOR. PHOTO BY KUJU KELVIN peace meeting, Murle community leaders signed a statement outlining their grievances against the Dinka-Bor and possible solutions to the standoff. Furthermore, the community leaders agreed to support the state government in tracking and recovering stolen cattle through the joint patrol committee and community policing. Under activity JON159, a similar prepatory meeeting was held with the Dinka-Bor to better understand their grievances with the Murle and how they can repair their relationship.

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TO PROMOTE A MORE INFORMED COMMUNITY Lack of access to accurate and reliable information and news continues to be an issue across South Sudan. Therefore, one of VISTAS objectives is to promote a more informed community so South Sudanese can make educated decisions for themselves and counter the proliferation of false rumors that often incite violence. During FY19 Q1, VISTAS cleared four grants under this objective worth $313,920.

In this quarter, VISTAS has worked closely with the Juba Monitor, including through an embedded finance STTA, to build systems that will assist in the long-term management and sustainability of the newspaper. At the end of this quarter, the Monitor now has an organogram and payment approval matrix in place, and is implementing systems such as cash advance forms and trackers, vehicle log sheets, proper receipts for all expenditures, an invoice tracker allowing them to follow up on any outstanding payments due, and a means of monthly tracking of revenues versus expenditures – all of which did not exist prior to this quarter. These systems are all BENEFICIARIES RECEIVING RADIOS IN LAKES STATE. PHOTO BY KACHUOL DEER meant to cut down on waste, increase revenue, and to allow the Monitor management team to make informed decisions in regards to their business model and standard operating procedures.

In Lakes, the regional team distributed 1,000 solar powered wind-up radios to more than 20 villages and towns to provide access to reliable and accurate information to counter rumors and narratives that fuel violent conflicts. In addition to being able to tune into news programming, the wind-up radios are also equipped with SD cards that have been preloaded with educational and peace messaging shows created by BBC Media Action with VISTAS support under previous grants. Most South Sudanese who live outside of urban centers do not have access to online or print media, BENEFICIARIES LISTENING TO A GRANTEE TEACHING THEM HOW TO USE THE RADIO therefore, they have to depend on BEFORE DISTRIBUTION IN NBG PHOTO BY ACDF-SS second hand information, making them susceptible to manipulation. The provision of radios to communities is to empower them by accessing real-time news and information from local stations, national radio stations and from international media on the shortwave. The beneficiaries were selected by targeting areas where people congregate such as tea shops and a place where people play dominoes and cards. School teachers, traditional leaders, civil authorities, and religious leaders were also provided with radios. During activity implementation there was insecurity in selected villages that delayed the distribution timeline. Unfortunately, the security situation did not improve in some areas, preventing radio distribution. New villages were identified by the grantee to replace the villages in these insecure areas and the communities living in them were provided with radios.

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The NBG regional team also distributed wind-up radios. In collaboration with the grantee Action for Children Development Foundation South Sudan (ACDF-SS), VISTAS distributed 1,000 wind-up radios loaded with peacebuilding content, including Life in Lulu in Arabic and Dinka, to hard to reach communities that are either conflict prone and/or outside telecom network coverage. This activity contributes to promoting more informed communities by providing villages that normally do not have access to timely information and are susceptible to manipulation, a means of listening to news THE GOVERNOR OF BOMA STATE, DAVID YAU YAU GIVING HIS SPEECH DURING on a regular basis from a variety of sources. THE CLOSING CEREMONY. PHOTO BY ADHIEU GAI The solar powered wind-up radios themselves are incredibly resilient and contextually appropriate for the harsh South Sudanese climate.

On December 10-14, VISTAS successfully implemented a Dinka-Bor consultative peace meeting on cross-border peace with their Murle neighbors. The meeting was also attended by eight Murle delegates from cattle raiding hotspots, which was momentous because it was the first time Murle community leaders felt comfortable entering Bor territory since the crisis of December 2013. The community leaders signed resolutions stating the causes of the protracted conflict between the two communities and generated possible ways forward to resolve issues of cattle raiding, child abduction, and road ambushes. The meeting coincided with the return of 40 cattle and three children by Governor David Yau Yau in Anyidi, witnessed by Governor Philip Aguer, VISTAS regional team, UNMISS, Murle, and Dinka-Bor community leaders. The two governors also attended the closing ceremony and witnessed the signing of the meeting resolutions.

TO ENGAGE COMMUNITIES IN TRAUMA AWARENESS TO LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR HEALING AND RECONCILIATION Through the Morning Star program, VISTAS helps communities to understand how trauma has impacted them, their families and communities, perpetuated historical inter-communal tensions and begins to bridge these divides, paving the way to reconciliation. During FY19 Q1, VISTAS cleared one new activity worth $108,096.

Throughout Q1 the Morning Star Program, under activity MOR051, expanded trauma awareness tools through theater to six regions in South Sudan. Implemented through THE KUNUS DRAMA GROUP PERFORM IN WAU. OCTOBER 2018. PHOTO BY DOMINIC G.

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South Sudan Theater Organization (SSTO), four regional-based drama groups were trained to conduct trauma sensitive street theater performances in Wau, Malakal, Pibor and Aweil. The first part of the training consisted of studying trauma sensitive plays developed under MOR033. Next, each of the regional- based theater teams conducted a four-day Forum Theater in their respective locations (four street theater performances in each location), resulting in a total of 16 street theater performances all together in this quarter. In addition to the 40 members of the regional-based drama groups, the street theater performances at the regional levels attracted more than 3,000 participants, a significant number to be exposed to knowledge on trauma. The plays performed were Hatima, Kasara, Photocopy and Revenge, which cover topics such as forced marriage, domestic violence, revenge killings and cattle raiding.

In addition, the Morning Star program developed two new targeted trauma awareness curricula: Morning Star for Peer Support Groups and Morning Star for Primary Health Care Providers (MOR052 and MOR037). Both curricula were derived from the Morning Star trauma awareness curriculum, but adapted for specific target groups. On October 1-12, 2018, a training was held for 18 Morning Star Master Trainers and staff, led by the two Training Consultants who developed PARTICIPANTS OF THE PEER SUPPORT GROUP IN YAMBIO. NOVEMBER 2018. PHOTO BY the curricula. The trainings were MARKO SMOKVINA. used to pretest the curricula and take into account knowledge and experience from Master Trainers to contextualize it. In November 2018, the Peer Support Groups curriculum was piloted on two groups from Yambio and Torit. Both groups were selected from previous participants of Morning Star sessions, which is a requirement to serve as a peer support group member. The immediate feedback from the two pilot groups regarding the training was that the Peer Support Groups curriculum offers realistic skills that can be utilized to continue supporting each other after Morning Star sessions end. Participants shared that that they usually offer such support informally, but they appreciated the additional skills and knowledge to enhance their support to one another.

In early 2018, a Morning Star Sustainability Assessment was conducted with one key recommendation being that Morning Star integrate its programming with other implementers in South Sudan. As a result, MS has engaged with several partners, including SaferWorld and World Food Programme (WFP). With Safer World, Morning Star mainly worked with the organization’s staff, whereas with WFP, the partnership was much PARTICIPANTS OF THE TWO DAY TRAUMA AWARENESS TRAINING IN LAKES. RUMBEK, broader. At the behest of their NOVEMBER 30, 2018. PHOTO BY JOHN ALIER donor, Global Affairs Canada, WFP requested Morning Star to conduct trauma awareness trainings for

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the beneficiaries of WFP’s nutrition program in Lakes and Western Bahr-el-Ghazal. In Lakes, the sessions were coordinated with Plan International, WFP’s implementing partner in the region. Overall ten sessions were conducted for WFP beneficiaries (five in Lakes, five in Western Bahr-el-Ghazal), reaching 300 beneficiaries (170M/130W). Through the five-day tool, the participants were provided with practical tools and knowledge to foster resilience and eliminate actions that might lead to violent behaviors. The beneficiaries of the sessions and WFP staff greatly appreciated the activity and have requested that more sessions be extended to their beneficiaries in other locations in the coming months. The activities were supported under grants MOR065 in Wau and MOR062 in Lakes.

PROGRAM CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNED During this quarter, the most difficult challenge the program encountered was insecurity within some of the regions of operation. There has been escalation of violence among communities throughout Lakes State. These incidents involved cattle raids, revenge killings and road ambushes, which consequently impeded VISTAS operations in areas where grant activities such as radio distribution, community peace dialogues, women’s empowerment skills training, and data collection were to be conducted. Some of the areas affected over this reporting period include Amokpiny, Paloc, Akot and Aluakluak. On several occasions, VISTAS cancelled travel plans and activities along the Rumbek-Yirol road due to security concerns, as well as radio distribution in Amokpiny, Paloc, Akot, Aluakluak, Rumbek North, Mapuordit and Ageny. However, the 1,000 radios available (LAK041) were eventually distributed in six out of eight former counties of Lakes State.

Additionally, insecurity that is related to cattle raids and cattle theft experienced in Lakes region extended to Southern Unity’s Panyijiar County, another location where the program implements its activities. In the month of November 2018, youth from Rumbek North of Lakes State raided cattle from their neighboring Panyijiar County of Southern Unity. The youth in Panyijiar subsequently retaliated by raiding the same community. These inter-state communal cattle raids in this region have posed a significant threat to the relative peace that these two communities have maintained during the South Sudan civil war. Whereas the program initially focused on intra-state conflicts, during this quarter VISTAS through a local grantee, AMA, continues to implement a series of monthly peace forums for both regions in order to institutionalize mechanisms to peacefully address divisive inter-communal issues.

Similarly, in Jonglei, the program’s initiative to conduct a community peace dialogue between the Murle and the Lou Nuer of Akobo was derailed by insecurity caused by rampant cattle raids. Consultations with the community leaders on both sides of the divide are ongoing to determine a suitable date and location for the dialogue. As these engagements occur, mistrust continues to grow as more incidents of deadly cattle raids are executed, further shutting the window of opportunity. In November 2018, six Lou Nuer traders were allegedly killed by Murle youth and more than 30 people were reportedly killed in a separate cattle raid incident conducted by the Murle youth against the Lou Nuer in the first week of January 2019. Such incidents do not only disrupt the implementation of planned activities, but have the potential to reverse gains that the program has achieved over the years in facilitating inter-communal peace.

While insecurity is an ongoing issue in most of the remote activity implementation sites, the implementation of activities in areas assumed to be relatively peaceful, i.e. the Protection of Civilian sites (POCs), were also occasionally interrupted by intra-communal feuds. For example, Juba POC3 experienced serious intra-communal tensions, which led to the violence in August 2018 and the subsequent displacement of one Nuer clan out of the camp. Throughout this period of tensions, the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS) suspended all NGO activities other than lifesaving activities, therefore affecting the implementation of the VISTAS-supported lectures for students and peace engagement days for camp residents. The delays caused challenges into this quarter, although eventually all POC3 activities resumed and are now being implemented.

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In the Bentiu POC, a dispute between the camp management agency International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the IDPs community leadership in September and October 2018 prevented VISTAS from implementing a women’s computer literacy project. IOM was the grantee for the project; however, the organization could not implement the grant as the community leadership barred them from implementing activities in the camp for three months. VISTAS relocated the project to the Wau POC with the same grantee, because there was need for a similar project with a women’s center (UNI074).

In Northen Bahr el Ghazal, VISTAS has been organizing migration conferences between the Dinka Malual and their neighboring nomadic Sudanese communities over the past several years, in collaboration with UNMISS. The Joint Border Peace Development Committee (JBPDC) was established to organize and sustain migration conferences, disseminate the resolutions of the conferences, and monitor the implementation of the agreed upon resolutions. This has helped both communities manage cattle migration and address related challenges that afflict them. However, a recent incident of cattle theft by Malual Dinka of Ariath County caused mistrust between the host community and the Rezeigat nomads. After the theft, the Ariath County Commissioner did not cooperate with the JBPDC in returning the recovered cattle to their rightful owners and arraigning the culprits in court. Following this incident, neither the chiefs from Ariath nor their County Commissioner attended the conference that VISTAS supported this quarter, even though they were formally invited to participate as they have been in the past. Cognizant of the risk this misunderstanding creates, some of the key stakeholders to the conference, including the Lol State Peace Commission and the JBPDC, have formed a committee to address the misunderstanding in order to sustain peaceful migrations and dialogue conferences between the two communities in the future.

While the program mostly implements in-kind agreement grants, some of the regions continue to receive occasional demands for allowances from community members invited to participate in peace dialogue activities, especially in Lakes Region where many intra-communal peace dialogue events were conducted. While transport reimbursement is legitimate, the push for sitting allowances has always been an area of contention. The VISTAS program does not provide sitting allowances and discourages other organizations form doing so, because such allowances are unsustainable and participation should be voluntary. Unfortunately, many organizations operating in the region pay sitting allowances, which exacerbates the issue for VISTAS-supported events and leads to some invitees deciding not to attend.

Lastly, in November and December, the VISTAS M&E team embarked on data collection for 11 outcome indicators included in the extension AMELP. The downsized M&E team of five experienced more challenges than initially anticipated in collecting the data throughout the regions. In order to present the findings in the FY Q1 report, temporary data collectors were hired to expedite the exercise. VISTAS managed to compute all the outcome indicator values in this quarterly report, although more analysis will follow in Q2 of FY19 to provide a more comprehensive context and explanation of the observed indicator performance.

V. IMPACT From the beginning of the project until December 1, 2018, VISTAS created 270 new groups (or launched new initiatives into existing organizations) dedicated to resolving conflict or the drivers of conflict, 22 of which were created or launched during the reporting quarter. From October to December 2018, VISTAS conducted an in-house outcome survey to determine some of the impacts of these initiatives. The findings from the VISTAS Outcome Survey (2019), as well as contextual impacts observed in the course of the quarterly activity implementation, are summarized in this section.

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Morning Star

A total of 59 trauma awareness sessions were conducted this quarter compared to the 77 sessions reported in Q4 of FY18. In total 1,777 community members were trained during FY19 Q1 compared to the 2,789 in FY18 Q4. Communities reached with Morning Star trauma awareness sessions in this quarter include; Akobo, Aweil, Bentiu, Bor, Juba, Malakal, Pibor, Rumbek, Wau and Yambio. There were more sessions in the previous quarter than in Q1 2019, because VISTAS was preparing for upcoming dialogues.

VISTAS trauma awareness programming continued to improve in quality and responsiveness. For instance, the percentage of trainees who undertook the training as part of other activities such as peace dialogues continued to increase, rising from 38% in FY18 Q4 to 41% in this quarter. In most cases, Morning Star trauma awareness precedes the peace dialogues or is directly included into the dialogue process. There was an immediate impact observed, in that the dialogues that followed the Morning Star sessions generated relatively less heated discussions than has typically been the case. In addition, participants were keen to make reference to Morning Star knowledge: For example, in Lakes, one youth representative challenged his fellow participants during a heated conversation by saying; “They still talk like people who are traumatized and are not willing to come out of the conflict”. Such connections between Morning Star concepts and peace dialogues confirm the transformative nature of Morning Star.

The VISTAS trauma awareness program also reached more women in this quarter compared to the last quarter, with female participants constituting 39% of all participants compared to 33% in FY18 Q4. Further, the trauma awareness program dedicated three sessions for Peer Support Group training, where select community members were further trained on how to identify, counsel, or refer other community members who may be traumatized. These trainees constituted 8% of all trainees in this quarter compared to none in FY18 Q4 (Peer Support Group is a new pilot initiative). The peer training is an important exit strategy aimed at enhancing sustainability as well as informing future interventions.

VISTAS has strived to integrate basic operations research into its trauma awareness program in order to empirically confirm and document the impacts already observed in the course of implementation. Between October and December 2018 VISTAS conducted robust pre-session and post-session trauma awareness assessments of (i) knowledge of symptoms of trauma, (ii) participant’s readiness to accept that trauma can heal, and (iii) participant’s perceived state of trauma using 10 psychosocial dimensions. The key results of this assessment are valid measures of program impact and are summarized below:

 Impacts of Morning Star trauma awareness training on knowledge of symptoms of trauma

The assessment found that 64% of participants could adequately identify the symptoms of trauma at post-test compared to 49% at pre-test - a 15% point improvement (see Figure 1). The target of 80% was not met because some trainees found it difficult to grasp the more complex definitions/concepts of trauma, such as the fact that witchcraft is not a cause of trauma. This is due to the deep cultural roots of such beliefs. Others failed to understand the concept of secondary trauma. The score was also pushed down by the low education level of participants, which made it difficult for many to distinguish causes from impacts of trauma. The target of 80% was too ambitious; it was based on the typical knowledge acquisition pass-mark of 80% since no past data existed to help in target setting.

In summary, nearly two thirds of participants could adequately identify trauma symptoms. Based on this statistic, VISTAS concludes that the trauma awareness program is effective in providing core knowledge on trauma symptoms, although more analysis is needed to develop an alternative

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curriculum that is more accessible the participants with relatively lower levels of education.

Figure 1: % of trainees demonstrating knowledge of symptoms of trauma (Data Source: VISTAS Outcome Survey 2019) 100% 80% 80% 64% 60% 49% 40% 20% 0% Pre-Test Post-Test AMELP Target

 Impacts of trauma awareness training on change in attitude

The pre- and post-session assessments of attitude change revealed that after the training there was an 11% point increase in the percentage of trainees reporting that individuals and communities can heal from trauma (see Figure 2). Both the pre- and post- test scores exceeded VISTAS’ target of 67%, indicating that participants’ attitudes were more positive than expected. This 11% increase demonstrates the impact the trauma awareness sessions have on participants’ attitude toward the possibility to heal from trauma. Figure 2: % of trainees that believe trauma can heal (Data Source: VISTAS Outcome Indicator Survey 2019) 100% 81% 80% 70% 67% 60% 40% 20% 0% Pre-Test Post Test AMELP target

 Impacts of trauma awareness training on behavior change

The pre- and post-session behavior change assessments involved participant self-assessment of his/her state of trauma in each of 10 psychosocial dimensions using a five-level grid where “1” represents the worst state of trauma and “5” represents the normal human emotional state. Improvement was measured by any movement from 1 towards 5 between the pre-session to the post-session tests. Figure 3 shows that the percentage of trainees that reported an improvement in five or more of the 10 dimensions was 61% compared to a target of 60%. The target in the AMELP was described as those that registered positive change in 8 or more of the 10 dimensions, but this was a very ambitious standard that was found to be too unrealistic, although 40% did achieve this level.

Another way of looking at the data is by each psychosocial dimension included in Figure 4, which

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shows that shows that 9 of 10 dimensions were rated as improved by 50% or more of trainees. The figure further reveals that the VISTAS’ 5-day trauma awareness sessions have a significant impact on the vast majority of the 10 dimensions of trauma. The dimension that was most impacted by the trauma awareness session is “Faith” – i.e., spiritual conviction or prayerfulness - where 70% of all trainees showed an improvement or reduction in state of trauma. The least impacted is “Isolation” (38%) – i.e. traumatized individuals may need more than the five days to start interacting freely or the necessary change may even require additional interventions beyond the trauma awareness training.

Figure 3: % of trainees who improved in: 70% 61% 60% 60%

50% 40% 40%

30%

20%

10%

0% 8 or more of the dimensions 5 or more of the dimensions AMELP Target assessed assessed

Figure 4: % of trainees showing a reduction in their perceived state of trauma after the 5-day VISTAS trauma awareness session by dimension (Data Source: VISTAS Outcome Survey 2019) 80% 70% 64% 70% 62% 60% 60% 60% 58% 57% 57% 60% 50% 50% 38% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Media related interventions for “More Informed Communities”

 Impacts of VISTAS interventions on radio access, coverage of peace messages and behavior change

One of the main barriers to peace messaging in South Sudan is that many residents do not have radios. Surveys conducted by BBC Media Action (a VISTAS grantee) showed that radio access in VISTAS-supported areas was 50% and 57% in May 2016 and May 2018, respectively. In January 2019

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VISTAS carried out a survey using similar methodology and revealed that radio access had risen to 60% (see Figure 5). This upward trend in radio access is highly correlated with the number of radios distributed by VISTAS in 2015 (10,782) and in early 2018 (5,898) - see Figure 6. The direct impact of VISTAS radio distribution on radio access is seen in both 2016 and 2019.

There are, however, some regional disparities in radio access where some regions have higher than average values (Upper Nile 69%; Jonglei 68%; NBG 65%) while others are lower (Yambio 52%; Juba POC 46%; Lakes 44%). These less saturated areas should be targeted in any future radio distributions (Figure 7).

Figure 5: % of adult population with regular access to a radio within or outside household in VISTAS-supported areas (Supported areas include: Jonglei, Lakes, NBG, Unity, Upper Nile, WBG, Yambio)

Data Source: VISTAS: Jan 2019, BBC Media Action: May 2016 & 62% 60% 60% 60% 58% 57% 56% 54% 52% 50% 50% 48% 46% 44% May 2016 May 2018 January 2019 AMELP Target_March 2019

Figure 6: Number of radios distributed by VISTAS in targeted areas in South Sudan between 2015 & 2018 (Regions: Jonglei, Lakes, NBG, Upper Nile, Warrap, WBG, Unity) 12,000 10,782 10,000 8,000 5,898 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 2015 2018

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Figure 7: % of adult population with regular access to a radio within or outside household, by region (data collected only from VISTAS-supported locations and included if sample size >30) 80% 69% 68% 70% 65% 60% 52% 50% 46% 44% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Upper Nile Jonglei NBG Western Central Lakes Equitoria Equitoria (Juba (Yambio) POC )

Increased access to radio is important, but is not the only factor in effective peace information dissemination. While the main objective is to reach communities with peace messages, it is even more important that these messages have the intended impact. Beyond radio distribution, VISTAS supports many other media-related interventions including infrastructure and equipment support for radio stations with the provision of communications equipment, power supply units, and office renovation. Other interventions include technical support for content development and delivery of messages. Since VISTAS began in 2013 up to this quarter, the program supported 293 initiatives or events that included peace messaging or increased access to information among communities. Of this total, 49 were implemented in this reporting quarter. In order to assess the impact of its work, VISTAS Outcome Survey (2019) examined the proportion of the target population that received a VISTAS-related peace message and the extent to which those messages had changed people’s behavior towards peaceful dispute resolution.

Figure 8 shows that nearly three quarters (72%) of the population in VISTAS-supported locations reported having received a key VISTAS-related message from any of the VISTAS-supported radio stations or from a peace or migration dialogue. The survey also revealed that most people (34%) received their VISTAS-related message from peace or migration dialogues, followed by Eye radio (30%), and then by Radio Tamazuj (26%), with other radio stations representing lower contributions (Figure 9). These findings point to two key lessons: (i) peace and migration forums are the most important source of peace messages in these areas, but (ii) all channels are important contributors since none on its own was able to reach 35% of the population - i.e. it required several channels to reach the 72% of the population that was reached. These findings justify VISTAS multi-pronged approach to peace messaging and demonstrate that its program is reaching a large percentage of the intended population.

Figure 8 also shows that an overwhelming majority (92%) of the respondents who had received the key VISTAS message reported that the message caused “a very big change in how I understood conflict and made me ready to only use peaceful means to resolve conflicts”. This result compares with similar studies such as that conducted by BBC Media Action on listenership of “Life in Lulu” radio program (supported by VISTAS) which found in 2018 that 95% of the regular listeners of the program reported that it helped them “improve their understanding of how to deal with issues of conflict”.

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Figure 8: % of adult population in VISTAS supported areas reporting that:

(Data Source: VISTAS Outcome Survey 2019) 100% 92% 80% 72% 67% 60% 50% 40% 20% 0% They had received key That had received key The message they had The message they had VISTAS Peace message over VISTAS Peace message over received had lasting impact received had lasting impact the last 12 months the last 12 months_AMELP on their behavior on their behavior_AMELP target 2019 Target 2019

Figure 9: % of adult population in VISTAS supported areas that reported receiving a key VISTAS peace message over the past 12 months through:

(Data Source: VISTAS Outcome Survey 2019)

40% 34% 30% 30% 26% 18% 20%

10% 6% 1% 0% 0% Peace and Eye Radio Radio Tamazuj Akol Yam FM Radio Jonglei Nile FM GoodNews Migration Radio Dialogues

A related result, but from the separate, aforementioned BBC Media showed that VISTAS support for the very innovative and highly successful radio drama “Life in Lulu” had increased its reach from 26% of listeners who listened at least once a month in 2016 to 47% in 2018. VISTAS support for “Life in Lulu” was through grantee BBC Media Action. The “Life in Lulu” program is aimed at promoting peace and co-existence. VISTAS’ financial support to BBC Media Action in 2017 allowed them to broaden the range of languages in which the “Life in Lulu” program was broadcasted.

Interventions aimed at increasing space and tools to manage conflict and tensions

 Trust among communities, and its effect on changes in community’s perception of scale of conflict

A key pre-requisite to short-term as well as lasting peace is adequate trust among communities in conflict. VISTAS employs several approaches to achieve trust such as peace messaging though radio programs, advocacy activities such as sport, other educational entertainment activities, and, more significantly, the peace and migration dialogues that are a hallmark of VISTAS’ peace strategies. By December 31, 2018 VISTAS had supported 152 consensus building forums, 55 of which were supported in this reporting quarter.

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Between October and December 2018 VISTAS assessed the impact of the combined effect of its various interventions on whether trust among communities had increased and if that had resulted in a reduction in certain dimensions of particular conflicts. These measures of outcomes were all based on perceptions of the communities rather than on monitoring the changing number of cases of certain types of conflicts.

Figure 10 shows that more than two thirds (69%) of the population in the targeted areas reported that their trust in other communities had increased over the last 12 months. Since VISTAS is one of the major peace actors in these locations, it can be concluded that its activities have contributed to this outcome. This trust outcome has resulted from a combination of other lower level results associated with VISTAS, including: increase in radio access from 50% in 2016 to 60% in 2019 as a result of radios being distributed; a high percentage (73%) of the targeted population having attended a peace or migration dialogue in the past 24 months; nearly three quarters (72%) of the same population having received a key VISTAS peace message in the past 12 months either through radio or through peace migration dialogue; and finally, the overwhelming majority (92%) that reported that the VISTAS-related message they had received had changed how they viewed peaceful resolution of conflicts.

With regard to the measures of changes in perception on the scale of conflict, the M&E team collected and pooled data from Lakes, Unity, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Gazal, and Jonglei. These regions have different types of core conflicts but common among the causes for them are inter-state boundaries and access to land, water and pasture. The survey asked what the respondent had observed to have happened in the past 24 months in relation to these common types of conflict. The percentage of those responding with "somewhat decreased" or "significantly decreased" are included in the indicator calculation. The survey findings show that three quarters (75%) of the population perceives the conflict to have reduced either significantly or somewhat reduced. VISTAS’ conflict resolution interventions have contributed to these outcomes. However, and of importance, is the finding that a quarter of the population does not believe that the conflict has decreased. This is linked to the fact that the conflicts still exist. These findings corroborate what is already known, especially in Upper Nile and Western Bahr el Gazal, where the creation of more states (in late 2015) escalated the civil war as the new administrative territories were contested by communities. The September 2018 R-ARCSS has also led to a reduction of conflict, at least temporarily. The longer term effect of R-ARCSS is yet to be determined as the process is delayed and many details such as boundaries, cantonment and security are to be resolved. Figure 10: % of adult population in VISTAS-supported areas that reported having attended a peace meeting, and the % reporting increased trust in other communities. (Data Source: VISTAS Outcome Survey 2019) 74% 73% 72% 70% 69% 68% 67% 66% 64% They had attended any form of dialogue Their trust in other communities had Their trust in other communities had (peace, pre and post migration, trauma significantly increased over the last 12 significantly increased over the last 12 session, other) supported by any partner in months (Among those that had attended months _AMELP Target 2019 the past 24 months any type of dialogue meeting)

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At a contextual level, VISTAS’ impact on increased trust and reduced perception of conflict are observed. Below are examples based on activities implemented in this reporting quarter:

(a) VISTAS implemented four monthly forums: three spear masters meetings and one peace conference between the Nuer of Panyijiar County and their Dinka counterparts of greater Yirol and Rumbek East. These community dialogues and peacebuilding activities supported by VISTAS in southern Unity has positively impacted relations, increasing confidence and sharing of common resources among the Nuer and Dinka along the border line of Eastern Lake, Eastern Rumbek and Southern unity.

(b) A series of dialogues and preparatory meetings have helped changed the mindset and perceptions among the Nuer of northern Unity and Dinka of Ruweng states. VISTAS has conducted six preparatory meetings in Northern Liech and Ruweng states through implementing partner DRI. These meetings have resulted in declarations from the two states calling for a conference.

(c) In southern Unity, VISTAS supported four community dialogues and two trade conferences in Mayendit County. These dialogues and conferences resulted in ongoing communications and movements between Mayendit, Leer and Panyijiar.

(d) Reconciliation in Yei: The spread of the civil war to Yei in 2016 led to a collapse in inter-ethnic relationships in the city, one of the most diverse in South Sudan, with nearly all tribes living there in harmony before the conflict. The close association of the Dinka tribe with the government and armed forces caused them to feel ostracized and under threat, and people of all ethnicities in Yei town moved into neighborhoods where their ethnicity was predominant. VISTAS partner CEPO’s intentional bringing together of individuals from across ethnic groups and conflict lines through peacebuilding workshops is playing a role in reducing tensions and restoring relationships. As a result, people are beginning to move back to their original homes and reconnect with neighbors across ethnic lines. Two workshop participants (Kakwa and Dinka) recently attended funeral prayers together, and stated that it is the first time since the conflict in which the tribes are mixing like this without fear. The participants said that CEPO’s peacebuilding workshops laid the foundation for reconciliation in that part of Yei and that they hope to see it spread from there. Likewise, a Dinka youth leader who attended a youth focused workshop, reported to VISTAS that the workshop changed his interactions with the Equatorians in Yei, and that he now feels comfortable engaging as friends, watching football together and attending church with them.

(e) In Yambio, the Interfaith Council for Peace remains the key interlocutor among government, opposition and community leaders. On December 12, Interfaith convoyed with UNMISS and CTSAMM to meet IO representatives in Ri-Rangu and escort them to Yambio for a peace celebration and a first meeting between the armed opposition and government forces. En route, the Interfaith vehicle broke down and VISTAS was able to step in and hire a vehicle and driver to allow them to continue their trip While UNMISS and CTSAMM went ahead of Interfaith, the IO forces refused to go to Yambio without Interfaith present, and UNMISS had to return to pick up the Interfaith members and drive them to Ri-Rangu. Once there, the IO proceeded with them to Yambio. This demonstrates Interfaith’s ongoing importance to the communities, and the fact that they are considered the most trustworthy actor in the area. VISTAS support to Interfaith includes transport, office furnishings, and refreshments for community meetings in which they education the community about local and national peace processes.

(f) In Akobo, numerous blood compensations have been completed with no additional killings among the Cie-Yol visiting Cie-Nyak communities reported since September 2018 (as of this report). Youth are actively engaged in livelihood activities initiated and supported by VISTAS. Intra-communal interactions have increased with exchange visits among men from Cie-Yol and Cie-Nyak. In the past, only women were moving between communities.

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(g) The three tribes of Fangak County discussed and agreed on the best modalities to resolve issues between them. Rules and regulations were agreed and put forth to punish those who break them, especially cattle robbers and people committing crimes on migration routes. Free movement began immediately after this agreement, with traders moving between Atar and New Fangak and between Tunja and New Fangak. The Government taxation office reported at least 100-300 cattle being sold at Tunja per week, and the frequency of commercial boats in between the two towns has increased to 7-10 per day as opposed to only two boats per week in the past. Bor-Fangak waterway has opened and up to five boats are reported to arrive at Old Fangak per week as opposed to only one boat per month in the past.

(h) The meetings between Dinka-Bor community leaders in Bor with Murle observers and between Murle community leaders in Pibor with Bor-Dinka observers was a big achievement, because it had not been possible to organize such meetings in the past due to entrenched mistrust and persistent attacks from Murle cattle raiders, which sometimes even happened as the meetings were taking place. As the most recent meeting was taking place, Governor Yau Yau, who is cooperating with Governor Philip Aguer to promote peaceful coexistence between the two communities, returned 40 cows and three children from Manyabol. The Boma and Jonglei state governors also opened up the road linking Bor and Pibor and declared Anyidi the main cattle auction market for Dinka-Bor and Murle traders. More peace dialogue meetings between the two communities will reduce mistrust and strengthen peaceful coexistence through trade ties and interactions.

Support to build cross-line interdependency to promote peaceful co-existence

A number of activities focused on infrastructure support that promotes livelihoods and inter- dependency, were implemented during the quarter. Up to December 1, 2018, VISTAS’ infrastructure support programs had benefitted 123,191 individuals, of which 17,073 were in this reporting quarter. The impact of some of these activities was assessed through VISTAS’ Outcome Survey 2019.

Figure 11 shows data collected and pooled from increased economic activities at Wanyjok and Marial Bai centers in NBG, increased fishing activity in Akobo, utilization of vocational skills in Bentiu POC, and utilization of learning shelters in Juba POC. The question in the survey was whether there was positive change in economic activity or utilization of the support provided by VISTAS. Overall, 83% of the sampled beneficiaries reported that the infrastructure support provided by VISTAS either “significantly” or “somewhat” increased their economic activity or utilization. While the overall performance was high, the one from Wanyjok centers was slightly lower (69%).

Figure 11: % of community members reporting improved improved/alternative livelihoods or increased interactions through trade and related activities in VISTAS-supported areas (Data Source: VISTAS Outcome Survey 2019) 100% 83% 80% 60% 60% 40% 20% 0% VISTAS Survey_Jan 2019 AMELP FY19 Target

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At the individual beneficiary level, many examples of impact have been observed, including the following observed in this reporting quarter:

(a) In Lakes Region, women’s empowerment skills training has changed the mindset of women on business management and ushered in new techniques to sustain small business activities. Women have started diverse business activities, some of which are in predominantly male-run sectors. One woman in Rumbek has ventured into construction block making. She has stacked five heaps of more than 10,000 blocks, each of which are to be burnt as red bricks. The bricks are to be sold to prospective buyers in Rumbek and nearby towns/villages. This woman mobilizes her labor locally, especially among cattle camp youth. She does not pay her young workers with money, but rather with small Tecno phones. Although she started this business before commencement of training, the training has helped her to increase her outputs. She is one of the main brick suppliers in Rumbek.

(b) The improvement of the Ganyliel market and the provision of the storage facility/rub hall has greatly encouraged trading among the Dinka of Jonglei and traders from Panyijiar. The procurement of the grinding mill has changed the lives of the Ganyliel Women’s Association by elevating their livelihoods through the income generated from the grinding mill.

(c) VISTAS support to customary bench courts in Bentiu and Rubkona has strengthened traditional leadership capacities. The number of court cases heard, record keeping and disputes settlement has improved according to grantees, which has greatly impacted harmony and peaceful coexistence between the residents of the POC, Bentiu and Rubkona towns.

VI. ADMINISTRATION AND LOGISTICS Within the short time available to complete activities in the extension period, VISTAS worked to ensure that the grants were designed to minimize pressure on the Operations Department as it was clear that there was potential to overload the (reduced) Procurement and Logistics Departments, and potentially delay grant implementation. With that in mind, VISTAS made increased use of Fixed Amount Awards (FAAs) to appropriate partners in order to reduce procurement burdens, place more responsibility on our grantees, and use it as an additional capacity building tool. Currently the Juba/Roving team alone has nine FAAs under implementation with various levels of responsibility placed on grantees based on their current capacities.

HR & ADMINISTRATION In this reporting period the Human Resources Department oversaw the hiring of 9 LTTA CCN staff including 6 Access Control Operators, 1 Access Control Supervisor, 1 M&E Specialist for Jonglei, and 1 Regional Program Manager for Upper Nile. In addition, over 50 STTA CCN have been hired in this quarter, mainly under grants, to support activity implementation. Given the obligation of additional LOE this quarter, employment agreements for CCN staff have been extended from October 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019. A new demobilization plan has been created and exact dates for demobilization have been shared with all staff. VISTAS has also submitted a request to the Ministry of Labor for approval to pay out all NSI accrued during 2018.

FINANCES This quarter the Finance Department primarily focused on processing payments supporting program implementation across the field offices. VISTAS faced new issues with Ecobank as payments for vendors with accounts at Standard Chartered and Stanbic Banks in neighboring countries could not be processed and were questioned by these banks. This resulted in vendors complaining about the delays. Most

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vendors have chosen to open accounts with Ecobank South Sudan, so that accounts payable can now be processed without delays. Finally, the finance vouchers and supporting documents for July, August and September 2018 were shipped to the Home Office in the 3rd week of November 2018.

LOGISTICS In FY19 Q1, the Logistics Department transported 64 tons of in-kind grant items to the various field sites via chartered planes, 11 tons of material by river, and 10 tons by road. In addition, 1,605 kgs of small cargo (both grants and operations materials) was shipped through UNHAS flights. Over 330 program staff and grantees were flown on UNHAS flights to implement activities across the country.

Contracting Officer approval was obtained for the first wave of asset disposals as part of the close-out plan. Subsequently, the RRC gave consent for the proposed disposition of assets and scraping of obsolete items. Work is in progress with selected beneficiaries who will receive these assets with the physical handover scheduled for next quarter.

PROCUREMENT The Procurement Department was exceptionally busy this quarter ensuring that grant items were procured in time for activity implementation. Most notably, procurements for PV systems in Wau and Yei were completed, as well as the Eye Radio PV system, which is bigger than any other that VISTAS has ever procured.

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ANNEX A: FINANCIAL INFORMATION (FOR INTERNAL USAID USE ONLY)

A B C D E F = C + D + E Total Actual, Total Costs Projected Approved Obligated Incurred Projections Accruals Expenditures

Budget Amount through FY19 Q1 Dec 2018 through (Mod 17) Invoice 64 FY19Q1, and Dec Accruals Project Management $ 59,061,478 $ 57,020,099 $ 53,609,012 $ 1,787,734 Costs TAP $47,559,042 $ 45,738,053 $ 40,500,135 $ 2,532,387 Fixed Fee $ 3,858,436 $3,858,436 $ 3,715,031 $ 138,971 $ TOTAL $ 110,478,955 $106,616,588 $4,459,092 $990,000 $103,273,270 97,824,178

Budget Lines:

Project Management Costs = direct contractor activity (and indirect costs). Operational costs are inclusive of grant handling charge. TAP = TAP STTA, Training, DDGS, GUC and Construction

Column A – Represents the Total Estimated Cost (TEC) per the award. Column B – Obligated Amount represents the amount obligated per the latest modification/amendment. Column C – Costs expended and paid by the Contractor that have been billed to USAID. Costs incurred to date should be within the last 30 days or latest date available. Column D – Projected expenditures for the associated period. Column E – Accruals for December 2018. Column F – Total Actual and Projected Expenditures for the associated period and December 2018 accruals.

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ANNEX B: SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS

DATE LOCATION ACTIVITY January 4-11, 2018 Juba In-Service Training for Master Trainers December 1st 2018-, Jan Bentiu POC/Guit Fishing equipment support to Lake No 31st 2019 County fishing project (UNI084) December – 2018 – 31 Jan, Ruweng state & Borderline communities interdependence 2019 Northern Liech state and dialogues (UNI082) Monthly forums between communities of December 1– 2018 – Jan Ganyliel, Yirol East and Southern Unity with their counterparts in 31, 2019 Rumber East greater Yirol and Rumbek East. Intra-communal peace dialogue in Greater January 10-18, 2019 Akobo Akobo Trauma Awareness training for Mothers January 7-18, 2019 Bor Union Trauma Awareness training for Pochalla January 7-18, 2019 Pochalla north and south community leaders January – February 2019 Various Morning Star trauma awareness sessions January – February 2019 Various Peer Support Groups trainings Trauma awareness trainings for primary January – February 2019 Various health care providers January – February 2019 Kodok/Akoka Kodok and Akoka Youth Cash for Work Amokpiny, Tali and Community Peace Dialogues in Greater January – February 2019 Mvolo Lakes January – February 2019 Rumbek Center County Technical Support to Good News Radio Support to Yirol Women's Association - January – February 2019 Yirol Grinding Mill January – February 2019 Various locations Support to Morning Star Activities in Lakes January – February 2019 Juba POC Daily university level lectures January – February 2019 Wau, Yei Five CEPO Peacebuilding Workshops February 4-8 2019 Bor Support to Jonglei State Mothers’ Union Murle-Lou Nuer Leaders` peace dialogue February 11-25 2019 Burmath/Akobo meeting in Burmath February 18-22 2019 Pochalla Anyuak Peace dialogue February 22 2019 Juba Baden Powell Day with the Girl Guides Four Peace Engagement Days managed by Bi-monthly Juba POC Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative March 9-10 2019 Juba Third Annual Hagana Festival by Anataban February 22 2019 Juba Baden Powell Day with the Girl Guides

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ANNEX C: REGION-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

23 COMPLETED ACTIVITIES WORTH $1.5 M - FY19 Q1

Lakes Roving Unity 5% 0% Morning Star 14% 10%

NBG 9% Upper Nile 19%

Juba 10% Jonglei 33%

20 CLEARED ACTIVITIES WORTH $1.4 M - FY19 Q1

Rumbek 10% Jonglei Upper Nile 20% 5%

Roving 10% NBG Morning Star 10% 5%

Unity 10%

Juba 30%

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ANNEX D: PROGRESS ON INDICATOR TARGETS

VISTAS AMELP FY19 QUARTER 1 INDICATOR PERFORMANCE TABLE FY 19 Q1 Targets End of % of FY Achievements FY 19 Activity End-of- FY 18 (AMELP plus 19 to Date INDICATOR Q1 FY19 Q1 Variance Target- Activity targets for 5 of 23 Q1Target Actuals May 2019 (Sep 30, 2013- Variance grants approved Actuals Achieved Dec 31 2018) after AMELP approval) Objective 1: To increase space and tools to manage conflict and tensions (1) Number of new Favorable variance driven by additional activities groups or initiatives from the Unity field office not reflected in the created through USG target, namely material and skills building funding, dedicated to 51 14 22 157% support to Bentiu Town Customary Court, the 175 270 154% resolving the conflict or women-led Mobile Learning Initiative, Old the drivers of the Fangak Women's League, and Upper Nile pre- conflict. migration conference in Wadakona. (Not applicable as (2) Number of human Favorable variance due to timing: 12 human it is a new rights defenders trained rights defenders from 2 local were trained and indicator for 8 12 150% 12 12 100% or supported with USG supported this quarter. This included 4 female the VISTAS assistance and 8 male. extension period) Favorable variance: Resulted from combination of other, lower level VISTAS indicators. (3) % of sampled Including: increase in radio access associated community members - with VISTAS distributed radios; almost three reporting any positive (Not quarters of population reporting having change in perception of applicable as attended a peace or migration conference; trust among those who nearly three quarters of the same population it is a new 67% 69% 103% 67% 69% 103% have ever participated indicator for having reported that they received a key in any peace or VISTAS VISTAS peace message; and finally the vast migration dialogue extension majority reporting that the VISTAS-related supported by VISTAS period) peace message they had received had significant or other donor. change in how they viewed peaceful resolution of conflicts.

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FY 19 Q1 Targets End of % of FY Achievements FY 19 Activity End-of- FY 18 (AMELP plus 19 to Date INDICATOR Q1 FY19 Q1 Variance Target- Activity targets for 5 of 23 Q1Target Actuals May 2019 (Sep 30, 2013- Variance grants approved Actuals Achieved Dec 31 2018) after AMELP approval)

Favorable variance: VISTAS Outcome Survey (3b) % of sampled 2019 collected data from Lakes, Unity, Western community members Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Gazal, & reporting any reduction (Not Jonglei. These regions have different main types in conflict conditions in applicable as of conflicts but common among are inter-state USAID/ VISTAS - it is a new boundaries and access to land, water and supported areas indicator for 60% 75% 125% pasture. The question in the survey was about 60% 75% 125% VISTAS these conflicts. In addition to VISTAS extension interventions, the singing of R-ARCSS in

period) September 2018 has also led to a reduction in conflict, although this could be temporary depending on progress and agreements on boundaries, cantonment, etc. Objective 2: To build cross-line interdependency to promote peaceful co-existence (4) Number of beneficiaries with Favorable variance: Result of achievements improved access to 38,761 12,340 17,073 138% derived from more grant activities overall than 91,002 123,191 135% critical infrastructure, were reflected in the target. such as service delivery, trade and training (5) Number of consensus building Favorable variance: Eleven (11)intra-community forums held with USG 27 42 55 131% forums under LAK028 ended in agreements and 127 152 120% assistance that end in not reflected in the target. agreement

(6)% of community -(Not Favorable variance - Per economic activities at members reporting applicable as Wanyjok and Marial bai centers in NBG, fishing improved/alternative it is a new activity in Akobo (Jonglei), utilization of livelihoods and/or indicator for 60% 83% 138% vocational skills in Bentiu POC, and utilization 60% 83% 138% increased interactions VISTAS of learning shelters in Juba POC. Overall through trade and extension performance was high, but Wanyjok centers related activities in period) was slightly unfavorable (69%). USAID/VISTAS

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FY 19 Q1 Targets End of % of FY Achievements FY 19 Activity End-of- FY 18 (AMELP plus 19 to Date INDICATOR Q1 FY19 Q1 Variance Target- Activity targets for 5 of 23 Q1Target Actuals May 2019 (Sep 30, 2013- Variance grants approved Actuals Achieved Dec 31 2018) after AMELP approval) supported areas. Objective 3: To promote a more informed community (7) Number of initiatives or events that Favorable variance: Primarily attributed to include peace messaging 43 39 48 123% activities for peace messaging and increased 187 292 156% or increase access to access to information. information among communities Achieved target * *In May 2016 and May 2018 BBC Media Action Survey found that radio access in VISTAS-supported areas was 50 – 57%. In January 2019 VISTAS carried out a survey using similar methodology and tool and revealed that radio access had risen to 60% across the same areas. This upward trend in (8) % of population radio access is highly correlated with another (15+yrs) with regular variable, the number of radios distributed by VISTAS access to radio within 57% 60% 60% 100% in 2015 and early 2018 when 10,782 and 5,898 60% 60% 100% or outside their radios, respectively, were distributed (see figure 6). household The direct impacts of VISTAS radio distribution on radio access is seen in both 2016 and 2019. There are, however, some regional disparities in radio access where some regions have higher than average values (Upper Nile, 69% Jonglei, 68% NBG, 65%) while others are lower (Yambio, 52% Juba POC 46% Lakes, 44%), and the latter should be the targets for any future radio distribution. (9) % of community - Favorable variance: The survey also revealed members from targeted (Not that the plurality people surveyed (34%) areas that have applicable as received their VISTAS-related message from received any peace it is a new 50% 72% 144% peace or migration dialogues, followed by Eye 50% 72% 144% message/s associated indicator for radio (30%), and then by Radio Tamazuj (26%). with USAID/ VISTAS VISTAS These findings point to two key lessons; (i) support in the past 12 extension Peace and Migration Forums are the single-most

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FY 19 Q1 Targets End of % of FY Achievements FY 19 Activity End-of- FY 18 (AMELP plus 19 to Date INDICATOR Q1 FY19 Q1 Variance Target- Activity targets for 5 of 23 Q1Target Actuals May 2019 (Sep 30, 2013- Variance grants approved Actuals Achieved Dec 31 2018) after AMELP approval) months period)) important source of peace messages in these areas, but that (ii) all channels are important contributors since none on its own was able to reach 35% of the population-i.e. it required several channels to reach the 72% of the population that was reached. (This was a Favorable result: This result compares with new similar studies such as that conducted by BBC (10) % of community indicator Media Action on listenership of “Life in Lulu” members reporting that which radio program (supported by VISTAS) which 67% 92% 137% 67% 92% 137% the peace message had applied to found in 2018 that 95% of the regular program changed their attitude the listeners reported that it helped them improve extension their understanding of how to deal with issues period) of conflict. Unfavorable variance: Although no new data is (11) % of population, available in this quarter it is important to note among those with that VISTAS’ 2017financial support to BBC media access and of Media Action to allowed them broaden the age15yrs or above, who range of languages that broadcasted “Life in reported having 47% 55% 47% 85% 55% 47% 85% Lulu”, increasing the reach of the Peace- listened to “Life in messaging program from 26% who listened at Lulu” radio program at least once a month in 2016 to 47% in 2018. The least once in the past next BBC Media Action survey is Scheduled for 12 months May 2019. (12) Change in “The Favorable variance: VISTAS continued technical Juba Monitor” support for the paper’s accounting system (e.g., newspaper’s Revenues tracking advertising and subscriptions), with After USAID/VISTAS December 2018 financial data fully utilizing new support templates. The change is computed from 5.4% 14% 61% 436% August/Sep average revenues to Oct/Dec 20% 61% 305% average. These highly favorable results are attributed in part to VISTAS, as well as a low starting point.

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FY 19 Q1 Targets End of % of FY Achievements FY 19 Activity End-of- FY 18 (AMELP plus 19 to Date INDICATOR Q1 FY19 Q1 Variance Target- Activity targets for 5 of 23 Q1Target Actuals May 2019 (Sep 30, 2013- Variance grants approved Actuals Achieved Dec 31 2018) after AMELP approval)

Objective 4: To engage communities in trauma awareness to lay the foundation for healing and reconciliation Favorable variance: Higher than planned number of participants in community peace rallies in Yambio, cultural events and peace (13) Number of people engagement days in Juba POC, and trauma participating in USG- awareness theatre performances in different supported events, locations. training, or activities 31,101 29,134 51,566 177% 114,599 206,297 180% designed to build mass Note: Results to date include participants from support for peace and mass attendance; per third-party DQA assessment reconciliation. report (Dec 2018), we will adjust these indicator results next quarter and cumulative life of program to eliminate mass event attendee numbers in order to better report this F-indicator.

Unfavorable variance: The program has made (14) Number (and %) of progress from 30% to 31%. Though this is a local women positive achievement the program still faces participating in a challenges with female mobilization and substantive role or participation in substantive peace engagements 35% position in a peace 31% due to cultural and gender factors. These (4,027/11,6 30% 35% 89% building process (2,208 / 89% challenges are more pronounced, and 14) 31% (884/2,984) (1,777/5,087) supported with USG 7,062) witnessed, in community dialogues in Yei, NBG assistance and Jonglei where less than the planned number of women participated.

(15) change in % of (This was a Unfavorable variance: More trainees than community members new expected found it difficult to grasp the more complex concepts of trauma such as the fact demonstrating adequate indicator knowledge of trauma which that witchcraft was not a cause of trauma- 64% 80% 80% 64% 80% symptoms, causes and applied to 80% (post-test perhaps due to its deep cultural roots. Others impacts after VISTAS the target) failed to understand the concept of secondary 5-day trauma extension trauma. The 80% target, based on typical “pass awareness training period) marks” was too ambitious, given these factors, together with the generally low education

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FY 19 Q1 Targets End of % of FY Achievements FY 19 Activity End-of- FY 18 (AMELP plus 19 to Date INDICATOR Q1 FY19 Q1 Variance Target- Activity targets for 5 of 23 Q1Target Actuals May 2019 (Sep 30, 2013- Variance grants approved Actuals Achieved Dec 31 2018) after AMELP approval) levels,

However, it should be noted that pre- and post-workshop assessments showed increases of 15 points; having nearly two thirds of participants understand the concepts is a positive achievement. Favorable variance: Between Oct-Dec 2018 (16) change in % of VISTAS conducted a pre & post trauma awareness assessment of attitude of trainees on community members (This was a whether individuals and communities can heal reporting that they new from trauma. The pre and post assessment of believed that individuals indicator attitude change revealed that after the training and communities can which 81% 121% there was an 11% point increase in the 67% 81% 121% heal from trauma after applied to 67% percentage of trainees reporting that individuals USAID/VISTAS 5-day the and communities can heal from trauma. The trauma awareness extension (Post-test target) post-test score of 81% also points to the training period) success of the program in that a large proportion has gone past the knowledge to the next step of attitude change. Unfavorable variance: The “pass mark” for this (17) % of community (This was a indicator is based on participant reporting members reporting a new improvement in 8 of 10 psychosocial positive change in their indicator dimensions from pre- to post-workshop personal trauma-related which assessments. The % of trainees that reported an 60% 40% 67% experience after applied to 60% 40% 67% improvement in 5 or more of the 10 attending the 5-day the dimensions was 61% compared to a target of USAID/VISTAS trauma extension 60%, still a positive achievement. The initial awareness training period) target definition was too ambitious given the degree of trauma experienced in South Sudan.

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ANNEX E-1: SUCCESS STORY

The POC is Lit: Youth Taking Safety Into Their Own hands

US AID is providing POC Youth with vital skills and helping them In South Sudan, the Protection of Civilian (PoC) site in Malakal, Upper Nile state, is home to roughly 30,000 internally displaced persons and make their communities safer through its VISTAS program in represents some of the most conflict-affected communities within the Upper Nile. country: Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk. In a PoC as diverse as Malakal, it is hard for residents to block out pre-existing inter-communal disputes, which exacerbates tensions and leads to violence. Within the PoC, insufficient lighting poses serious safety and security challenges, especially with access to latrines, water points and other key transit points at night, and in some conditions is deemed life threatening. The need for lighting not only serves as a basic day-to-day resource but it also reduces the prevalence of violence and crime, especially towards women and girls. To address this need, our USAID Viable Support to Transition and Stability (VISTAS) project, in collaboration with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, installed 70 solar lights in the Malakal PoC over the last two years.

In 2016, a survey commissioned by VISTAS in the Malakal PoC, found that 38% of the Nuer community had witnessed rape, while 17% reported a family member being raped and 8% of individuals shared they had been raped. As a direct response to the survey, VISTAS took action by conducting a community mapping exercise to identify key locations for solar light placement in order to facilitate safe movement at night and Under the supervision of a technician, prevent further occurrence of gender-based violence. After the trainees apply their skills by repairing broken or malfunctioning solar lights completion of the mapping exercise, solar lights were installed near within the Malakal POC. latrines, water points, and along transit routes. Successively, VISTAS was able to directly benefit 6,000 PoC residents and assist in the reduction of “These solar lights are helping a lot; they are preventing the conflict within the camp. criminals from stealing, are used by [students] who read under the To build upon the installation of solar lights within the Malakal PoC, poles and they also help people VISTAS and the Youth & Women Advocacy Network selected 40 youth, when going to the [restrooms]. including 10 women, in November 2018 to participate in a five-day And for me, I now have skills and training session that addressed the need to repair and troubleshoot knowledge about the functions of malfunctioning solar lights. The training provided essential technical skills, the charger controller, solar knowledge and tools to conduct solar light maintenance. Following the panels and the batteries as well training, VISTAS engaged each participant to apply their skills and as their connections, which I and knowledge by repairing 27 broken or malfunctioning solar lights under the rest of my friends did not know before; and we can now do the supervision of a technician. To attest to the effectiveness of the the repairing on our own.” training, all solar lights that were reported as broken were successfully Nehemiah Toung Aba, a community repaired by the youth participants. member and training program graduate Overall, the provision of solar lights has proven to reduce gender-based violence, mitigate conflict, and strengthen community resilience within the PoC.

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ANNEX E-2: SUCCESS STORY

Creating awareness on effects of, and ways to mitigate, trauma in individuals and communities leads to better outcomes associated with peace dialogue forums

Trauma awareness sessions are Since 2013, USAID through the VISTAS program has been working in an extra tool to support conflict-sensitive communities to reconcile them through peace increased cooperation and dialogue forums while simultaneously implementing trauma awareness conflict resolution between activities as a parallel program. Community peace dialogues are community leaders. common and often effective platforms through which warring groups can identify divisive issues and generate solutions and action plans aimed at restoring coexistence that builds the foundation for sustainable peace. However, the road to resolving conflict during peace dialogues is met with many barriers. While engaging in discussions, specifically during the situational analysis, participants are triggered by recapturing their unpleasant experiences and tend to exhibit bitterness, resentment, or anger towards each other. For example, in Lakes, Jonglei and Upper Nile states dialogues are frequently conducted, and contentious issues such as land disputes, child abduction, cattle raiding, ambushes and revenge killings dominate Photo: Ayual, Dachuek and Awulian the first day of the peace dialogue forum. As of July 2018, USAID- community leaders having a discussion on restorative justice as opposed to VISTAS integrated the peace dialogues and trauma awareness revenge killing‐ October 2018. programs in an effort to maximize impact during the forums. By Dut Kon Garang Therefore, initiating a trauma awareness session before a peace dialogue is a proven method to addressing traumatic behavior displayed by participants.

In Wangulei, Jonglei state, where the Dachuek and Ayual clans have been involved in violent rivalry, a very successful integrated trauma awareness peace dialogue forum for community leaders was supported by USAID-VISTAS in November 2018. After the trauma awareness and healing session, many participants express they had been unaware of the existence of trauma and its implications. Such a realization is a confirmation about the possibility of healing from awareness creation. The chiefs who participated at the forum pledged to utilize the trauma mitigation tools acquired in their work and requested for more in-depth trauma awareness trainings to be conducted for the traditional authority representatives, youth, and women from their respective villages. Furthermore, participants shared their views with a lot of reference to the trauma knowledge they acquired. For instance, one youth representative challenged his fellow participants saying ‘they still talk like people who are traumatized and are not willing to come out of the conflict’. This is a direct reflection

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on Morning Star trauma awareness tools for conflict transformation. By the end of the Wangulei dialogue, the chiefs passed positive resolutions and pledged to work with their respective communities on the implementation of the agreement, and also suggested follow-on peace dialogue meetings to sustain the momentum and attain lasting grassroots peace among the communities in Jebel Boma.

In Wulu, Lakes State, another trauma awareness and peace dialogue integration was conducted among the Belle communities. Yatta, an equivalent of trauma in Belle language, was cited by communities as a common contributor to persistent violence. One elderly woman said “Yatta has come as a modern evil destined to destroy community social setup of peaceful people.” During the trauma awareness session that preceded dialogues, theories of restorative justice, reconciliation and the principles of forgiveness were deliberately shared with the participants as alternative approaches to conflict mitigation as well as to challenge the participants to identify just resolutions and break free from the cycle of violence.

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U.S. Agency for International Development

www.usaid.gov

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