In the village of Tim Thok, when animals fall sick, families worry. Not just because a cow might stop giving milk, but because a child might not go to school, or a family might lose its only income. Here, cattle and goats aren’t just part of life — they are life.

“When my cow is weak, my children feel it too,” said Deng Anei, a cattle owner from Amethcok. “We use milk to feed them. We sell bulls to pay school fees. We don’t have clinics for our animals, so when they suffer, we just watch.”

That changed when Bangladeshi peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) arrived in the village, in Tonj South County, Warrap State. Armed not with weapons, but with veterinary medicines and quiet determination, they worked side-by-side with local veterinary officers to treat hundreds of animals in one long, dusty day.

For people like Deng, it felt like someone finally saw their struggle.

Across the open field, lines of goats and cattle stretched toward makeshift treatment posts. Community members looked on as their animals received injections — for parasites, for sleeping sickness, for common infections that have too often gone untreated.

“I’ve lost so many goats to disease,” said Nyandeng Achuol, a mother of five who walked with her children from a nearby settlement. “But today, I feel like we’re being helped not just with medicine, but with respect.”

The campaign treated over 2,800 animals, including 572 cattle, 1,298 goats, and 957 sheep. But just as important were the conversations — about preventing future disease, how to notice early signs of illness, and how healthier livestock mean stronger families.

Local veterinary officer, Mathok Thuo, reminded farmers that even simple knowledge — like how to manage ticks or clean water troughs — can mean fewer deaths during the next rainy season. “If you know how to protect your herd, you protect your children,” he told the gathered crowd.

For many in Tim Thok, this was the first time they had seen a veterinary professional in their village. There is no local animal health center, and many families say they’ve lost entire herds to curable diseases simply because no help was available.

Paramount Chief William Benykok, the village leader, called the event “a blessing”. “It may look like a simple thing,” he said. “But when someone treats your animal, they are helping your family survive.”

In addition to the treatments, veterinary medicines were donated to local authorities, ensuring the support doesn’t end with the departure of the peacekeepers. It was a gesture that spoke to partnership — not just a one-day intervention, but a shared commitment to helping rural communities thrive.

In a country where much of the economy is carried on the backs of animals, the health of livestock is inseparable from the health of people. And in places like Tim Thok, even a single healthy cow can change a family’s future.

As the peacekeepers packed up and the sun dropped low over the village, Deng Anei rested his hand on the back of a newly treated bull. “He’s stronger already,” he said, “And so are we.”