As the world turns its eye to the issue of child labour on the World Day Against Child Labour, the problem could not be more pertinent to the peace process and development of South Sudan.

Spring for Peace, a local non-governmental organization working in Yei River State, and the Civil Affairs Division (CAD) of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have brought together a group of talented school girls from the region through a gymnastics club.

A cessation of hostilities agreement between warring ethnic groups in the Jonglei region is a “first step to dialogue and engagement but we now need to build on that and show that there is a real dividend for peace,” the head of UN peacekeeping in South Sudan, UNMISS, has said.