Provision of life-saving protection assistance and services to vulnerable, conflict-affected children in Ayod, Jonglei State With the proposed project INTERSOS intends to guarantee continuation of its ongoing CP response in Ayod County that came to an end 31st July due to end of funds. The proposed intervention aims at strengthening individual case management and elaboration of case plans for unaccompanied, orphans and children with protection concerns, including children formerly recruited in armed forces of armed groups (CAAFAG) through CP helpdesks including provision of referrals to other services (education, health, NFIs, nutrition). Individual psychosocial support (PSS) activities will be provided (2/3 locations) to decrease children’s psychosocial distress, which is a result of protracted exposure to violence. Additionally, INTERSOS intends to keep its services within 2 CFS in Ayod County (Jiech, Mogok). CFS will be used as the entry point for the wider systems’ building component of the project. This critical intervention enables children who are exposed to an elevated level of violence and stress to participate in activities that help them gain a sense of normality, thus mitigating the possible negative developmental impacts. The CFS will be staffed with qualified CP staff as well as community volunteers with the appropriate set of skills and interest in working with children, who will undergo an intensive training in child protection and CFS management, followed by ongoing mentoring and coaching by INTERSOS Child Protection staff. Case management and community intervention will be implemented in all three locations.
In addition, the project aims to strengthen the community-based networks to prevent and respond to violence against children by directly involving parents, caregivers and through enhancing the role of the recently formed CBCPNs, through regular workshops aimed at reinforcing community mechanism to responds to CP violations, and to enhance their resilience, strengthen positive coping mechanisms, supportive parenting skills and positive discipline.
This is coupled with the continuous efforts INTERSOS undertakes to establish and strengthen community-based child protection systems and referral mechanisms through capacity building among community members, delivering knowledge on violation of child rights, signs and symptoms of different forms of abuse thereby contributing to the active identification of the most vulnerable children who suffer any form of harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation. As part of the continuous strengthening of community child protection systems the project will further implement awareness raising activities, including through public drama sessions, around child protection in emergencies. This will include a component of SGBV to ensure that children have access to the relevant information and services. This initiative will involve peer-to-peer education initiatives through the CFS. Additionally, adolescents will be supported to develop and lead on initiatives to increase local understanding of child protection risk factors and what kinds of steps children themselves can take to be protected from abuse, violence and exploitation through specific workshops and safety audit exercises.
Finally, INTERSOS will provide activities for family tracing and reunification services in areas in continuation with what was done in recent months, including the provision of safe interim care arrangements for UASC, orphans and children leaving armed forces. Families that have adopted one or more UAC will be trained on the main principles of interim care provision and positive parenting skills.

Overall, INTERSOS wants to achieve a protective and child-friendly environment, free of any threats and harm for children, in Jiech, Karmoun and Mogok (Ayod County).