Supporting refugee populations through conflict resolution and economic programs
Why our work is critical
Speak is a youth-led organization dedicated to promoting peace-building and sustainable livelihoods in rural areas of South Sudan and Uganda. Through the provision of fishing equipment, agricultural tools, and skills training, Speak empowers farmers and fishermen to improve their lives and communities.
The civil war in South Sudan has displaced many people, leaving productive villages dormant. The few who return to the villages face a huge risk of re-displacement due to inter-tribal and inter-clan clashes. Young individuals flock to towns in search of opportunities, resulting in high crime rates, rampant unemployment, and poverty yet there are abundant opportunities in the villages that they are not able to tap into due to lack of tools and skills as well as due to inter-tribal clashes. By creating the dialogue space to address conflicts, we are helping young people to return to the villages to get trained, receive tools and take up fishing and agriculture as the way to improve their lives. Speak contributes to community resilience and stability.
Project: Peacebuilding
Inter-clan conflicts over land and fishing rights are common in rural areas. Speak actively promotes peaceful coexistence by facilitating dialogue and conflict resolution. This helps in addressing underlying tensions and contributes to stability and community well-being. As an outcome of the dialogue, Speak is establishing the Centre for Mediation and Conflict Transformation to handle emerging conflicts that are not handled through take Tea Together forum. Mediators are trained to identify emerging conflicts and recommend necessary action before they lead to bigger conflicts.
Project: Livelihoods
Speak equips farmers and fishermen with essential tools and skills through building their capacity and provides them with skills. Through the support of the Athari group, ARTE provided 24 fishing women and men with fishing nets. These individuals have been able to generate sustainable income through fishing and farming activities.
The organization focuses on critical skills such as fishing techniques, crop cultivation, post-harvest handling, and preservation as well as financial management skills to handle their savings.
Project: Climate Smart Agriculture
In Ayilo I Refugee Settlement, our climate-smart agriculture initiative is more than just
farming, it’s a peace-building movement. South Sudanese women from diverse ethnic backgrounds come together to cultivate not only crops but also trust, unity, and resilience. Through shared agricultural practices, they exchange experiences, unlearn harmful stereotypes, and foster understanding, transforming farming spaces into safe havens for dialogue and healing. In the face of climate challenges, they are equipped with the skills to brave climate adversities, adapt to changing conditions, and continue providing for their families. As they grow nutritious food, they also sow the seeds of peace, proving that economic empowerment and social cohesion can thrive hand in hand.
“Whenever I heard about the Nuer [a tribe in South Sudan] all that I could think about was that they are the people responsible for our suffering. When I met Gatduel through the peace caravans in 2018 at first I was afraid to talk to him. When he shared his story, we all cried and I realized that we went through the same experiences. Now we are like brothers and we share ideas on how to make money to support our families. I learnt not to generalize people based on their tribe.”
— Ajak Alier, a former child soldier and peace caravan participant
