My name is Dr. Daniel Machuor Arok, I am the Executive Director of Community in Need Aid (CINA). CINA is a national NGO established in February 2010 and has been operational in South Sudan. We envisioned a society where children and families prosper beyond conflicts and disasters. CINA has been working so much in the areas of protection in the country. CINA is known as a specialized protection agency. Since 2011 we have been implementing interventions on child protection, general protection, GBV and Mine action. We also do a lot on education, health, food security and livelihoods CINA is currently present in five states in the country, in western Equatoria, Western Bar El Gazal, Lakes, Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria & Central Equatoria. We do have offices in all these areas. In Awerial, Yirol, Bor, Twic East, Duk County, Magwi, Wau, Tumbura and Juba. We have a working force of over 85 staff and 72 Facilitators & community volunteers. CINA has done a lot in terms of Protection, Health & Education in the country and we work closely with Protection Cluster, Child Protection Area of Responsibility. CINA as being a member of Child Protection Area of Responsibility both in the country and globally and has a member of Global Child Protection Area Responsibility Strategic Advisory Group based in Geneva since it was established in 2016.
As a humanitarian worker, what this means is getting out of my comfort zone to provide what I can do with my abilities and with support from others to be able to reach to those that are in need, who are affected by multiple crisis in this country. And for us, we call this Community in Need. And that’s where the name of this organization originated. All the affected populations in the country by wars, by subnational violence, by flooding and other natural disasters are community in need. And for us, we go out to do that which we’re able to do within our reach as a national NGO. We stay in the community to provide the needs for the needy, those that are affected.
It must be a very challenging thing to provide services across South Sudan. Most of my colleagues, sometimes, can walk on foot even in the flood affected areas. It must be very hard. Sometimes you sleep without getting good food and sometimes you fear. And many of our colleagues have been affected. Others have lost their lives in this journey of saving lives. And others are in fear, others are in detention. My message is that the reward would not be given to you by anyone, but believe that what you do is touching someone, is changing someone’s life, is saving their lives. And this country alone will reward you one of these days. Keep the fire burning, do what you can do within your reach and never give up.
