PIBOR - “And here are our beautiful papayas.”

Such is the climate and fertility of much of South Sudan’s soil that a few months was all it took for the seeds in the garden of James Nyapir Oleo to grow and bear fruits.

They were gifted to him by a colleague, and James believes that they were handed over with an implicit piece of advice.

“I think he wanted me to think long term, to create something lasting for tomorrow by acting – planting – right away,” he says.

With recent floods having displaced thousands of people in and around Pibor, the flourishing garden represents hope, not only for James, his wife and six children, but also for the neighbours he shared some of the seeds with.

Following James, who serves as a Field Language Assistant with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the many cheerful greetings he receives indicate that he is a popular figure, and a man who has helped many fellow residents communicate with peacekeepers, humanitarians and other outsiders.

“I used to volunteer as a teacher in this area, so I have seen a fair share of them growing up. Many of them are doing very well these days, and having contributed a little bit to that makes me happy,” he says.

James’s life has not, however, been all smiles. In the 1990s, when his father was fighting for South Sudan’s independence, his mother moved him and his sister to Ethiopia. The passing of his father then became the marching order for a week-long journey, on foot, to Kenya, where they were taken in and taken care of by the World Food Programme.

“My friends joined the South Sudanese resistance, and I was tempted as well, but my mother convinced me not to, and to take care of our finally settled family. She was right, and I have never regretted my decision.”

Instead, and after finishing secondary school, James followed a similar path to the one of the people who helped his family when they most needed it. Aged 37, he has already worked for several national and international organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and Care.

In recent years, James has been busy encouraging his wife to study and forge a career of her own, remembering how she made it possible for him to educate himself while she raised their children. James’s stance on this matter surprised some of his friends.

“Many of them warned me, because a common male mindset around here is that women who become too independent may no longer want to be married but go their own way,” he explains.

James and his wife were determined, however, and their quest for a suitable way forward has been successful. By now, she is studying nursery in Juba, an endeavour made possible by a scholarship from Doctors Without Borders. In the meantime, James is making sure that their children, and extended families, are living well.

“We know what it means to struggle. This is our way of trying to give something back to others who might be less fortunate than us.”