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STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / GYMNASTICS FOR PEACE
TRT: 02:52
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 10 JUNE 2017, YEI SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, gymnastics rehearsal
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Amira Aisha Ibrahim Gymnastics Participant:
“I feel very excited because I can manage to carry a friend on my back, that means I can manage to lift difficulties of life and peace, unity is the medicine we get to know each other I mean people you never known you didn’t even know that they exist but when we came for gymnastic we as one from various schools we got to know each other we are now friends we can interact with each other when we meet on the way in various places that’s why gymnastic is very important.”
3. Various shots, gymnastics rehearsal
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Amira Aisha Ibrahim Gymnastics Participant:
“Parents, do not force your children to early marriages; we girls have a future we have dreams, we have hopes in this life. Sometimes people say girls just a waste of time, they are just a waste of resources but hat is not true. We also human beings the same rights with boys, and sometimes you may find like in my class girls are leading.”
5. Various shots, gymnastics rehearsal
6. SOUNDBITE (English) James Mugo, UNMISS Civil Affairs Division Officer:
“The fact that they start with young girls is quite encouraging because young girls face a lot of challenges so it really encourages them to grow up and enhance their skills, not just in promoting peace and reconciliation but also for their future so that’s why we show it is important as UNMISS to work collaboratively and closely with them to see how we can promote women advancement and start with them as young girls as well as promote our goal which we are working on as part of our mandate and support peace and reconciliation.”
7. Various shots, gymnastics rehearsal
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Aligo Moris, Executive Director of Spring of Peace:
“As they climb on each other that shows the tolerant because you feel the pain but you are able to tolerate until that person comes down If that person does not have the spirit of tolerating she should have just shake herself then the other person fells down if you have bad heart on that person but is just because of their love because of their tolerant they also forgive each other they reconcile like when if somebody step on you, you will be able to forgive that person and say sorry so that you continue to co-exist together.”
9. Various shots, gymnastics rehearsal
A local non-governmental organization, Spring of Peace, and the Civil Affairs Division of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) are tapping into the potential of young schoolchildren through gymnastics by attracting a pool of creative talents aiming to promote peace, love and unity among the various ethnicities in Yei Town.
The club brings together girls to display their collective skills and talents through plays meant to entertain their audience as well as release stress, and help heal trauma created by the ongoing civil war.
A 15-year-old gymnastics participant Amira says the game is all about promoting peace unity and love among the young girls of South Sudan.
SOUNDBITE (English) Amira Aisha Ibrahim Gymnastics Participant:
“I feel very excited because I can manage to carry a friend on my back, that means I can manage to lift difficulties of life and peace, unity is the medicine we get to know each other I mean people you never known you didn’t even know that they exist but when we came for gymnastic we as one from various schools we got to know each other we are now friends we can interact with each other when we meet on the way in various places that’s why gymnastic is very important.”
Aisha added that, all girls and youngsters of the new nation should remain resilient in facing ups and downs of life.
SOUNDBITE (English) Amira Aisha Ibrahim Gymnastics Participant:
“Parents, do not force your children to early marriages; we girls have a future we have dreams, we have hopes in this life. Sometimes people say girls just a waste of time, they are just a waste of resources but hat is not true. We also human beings the same rights with boys, and sometimes you may find like in my class girls are leading.”
UNMISS Civil Affairs Division Officer, James Mugo, said the fact that the girls come from different tribal groups working together, embracing love and intermingling freely among themselves is naturally translated back into their respective communities and schools in terms of peace as the end result.
SOUNDBITE (English) James Mugo, UNMISS Civil Affairs Division Officer:
“The fact that they start with young girls is quite encouraging because young girls face a lot of challenges so it really encourages them to grow up and enhance their skills, not just in promoting peace and reconciliation but also for their future so that’s why we show it is important as UNMISS to work collaboratively and closely with them to see how we can promote women advancement and start with them as young girls as well as promote our goal which we are working on as part of our mandate and support peace and reconciliation.”
Aligo Moris Apollo, executive director of Spring of Peace, an umbrella organization that hosts a number of other peace clubs besides gymnastics said it’s all about co-existence.
SOUNDBITE (English) Aligo Moris, Executive Director of Spring of Peace:
“As they climb on each other that shows the tolerant because you feel the pain but you are able to tolerate until that person comes down If that person does not have the spirit of tolerating she should have just shake herself then the other person fells down if you have bad heart on that person but is just because of their love because of their tolerant they also forgive each other they reconcile like when if somebody step on you, you will be able to forgive that person and say sorry so that you continue to co-exist together.”
Although the Spring of Peace currently solely targets girls, Apollo says, it will soon develop a separate section for boys, displaying their respective skills and talents side by side with the girls.
UNMISS Civil Affairs Division often visits the club whenever there is patrol to the area, to help encourage the young girls to continue with their education in the face of life challenges caused by the fighting, instilling hope that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
The Civil Affairs Division has also provided the necessary Standard Operations Procedures to the club to guide the conduct of the games.
