Provision of life-saving protection assistance and services to vulnerable, conflict-affected children in Jonglei. Even though a revitalized peace agreement has been signed and the political climate in South Sudan is improving, children throughout the country but more specifically in Ayod County (JS) continue to face serious challenges and child protection violations. In remote areas like Ayod County, children are still affected by conflict and distress due to violence, displacement, famine and family separation. Indeed, recent data gathered by INTERSOS through focus group discussions (FGDs) indicates that children are still being recruited by armed forces, are separated from their families, suffer from exploitation, abuse, neglect, abduction, sexual and physical violence, child and forced marriage, child labour, psychosocial distress and extreme poverty and deprivation. It is therefore very clear that child protection services are critical in the area. There is an urgent need for psychosocial support for children on an individual and community level to build their resilience and to enable them to recover from psychosocial distress. Moreover, child protection services are needed to mobilize the community to prevent and respond to violence against children as well as to strengthen the referral mechanisms and ensure a coordinated response that is both age- and gender-sensitive. With the proposed project INTERSOS seeks to provide a continuation of the current CP service provision and to address these specific issues as raised above in 3 locations: Jiech, Mogok and Karmoun (Ayod County) with regular field-based roving activities to other hard-to-reach areas.The primary activity proposed intends to directly address life-saving needs of children through structured and comprehensive individual case management through CP helpdesks, coupled with PSS provision (including PFA), FTR services, regular update of the existing service map and referrals to other available services for girls and boys with protection needs (UASC, CAAFAG and GBV survivors), orphans and children with other specific needs including children with disability. 
 
As an additional channel for the identification of protection needs as well as a space to provide several activities, a CFS with daily activities in 3 locations has proven to be successful. Besides the use of CFS 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 intervention will also be characterized by a focus on community engagement activities, awareness-raising inside and outside schools, and risk mitigation achieved through a strong system of ToT whereby INTERSOS will provide training and engage community members in specific techniques for contextualized approaches to strengthen the protective environment for children. INTERSOS will also strengthen caregivers’ coping mechanisms and resilience through thematic workshops as per the needs identified in each community. A special focus will also be put on the training and awareness raising of PTA members and teachers on the importance of protection mainstreaming in education. To ensure the protection of children throughout the referral pathway and strengthen coordination, INTERSOS also aims to provide support and training to non-CP actors in the areas of intervention to contribute to the provision of the basic package of multi-sectoral CP services at community level and build capacity of service providers and communities to deliver quality CP services in line with best practices and minimum standards for humanitarian settings, do no harm and protection principles.