By Andrew Apiny Micham

Akello Uguak Uyo she was born in 1989 in Ngiwiihoogo village of Udici Payam  jur river county, she married and has 5 children.  she explained  the meaning of the village Ngiwiihoogo village, it   literally translated “Forgotten Village or forgotten Community” The forgotten Village according to Akello is descriptive terms used to describe pathetic place that lack many basic need for human being among are lack of access to clean water, lack of schools learning facilities, lack of health facilities, as well police station” According to Akello community in this village were so hopeless and so the place was named Ngiwiihoogo (Forgotten village is forgotten Community),said  we didn’t have any hope and believe  in our government. Because we had made severally appeals to Sudan government by then before separation but nothing had happened; we thought it was because Sudan government was serving interest of North Sudan but after separation we thought now South Sudan government will listen to our cries but that didn’t change the issue in anyway our conditions remain in the same for numbers of years without lives improvement particular on basic services.

 After severally failed attempted we gave up everything after all we are forgotten village nothing good will happen to our village we said to ourselves.  We used to hear and see good things happening in our neighbour’s villages such as schools, clinic, drinking cleaning water in Busellia, Kayango, Atido, Wau Town, Kangi and Barurud. We thought we were curse and so nothing good will come to our village one day; we felt of being rejected and abandoned by our own government and see ourselves not part of this country because the way women and children in this village had suffered is unspeakable stories and beyond my imagination, each every one of us has unique story to tell when ask individual about the challenges facing this village.  Despite all these we never abandoned our village why? Because the place was/is agricultural productive when you plant anything you will get good quality, so we accepted to suffer and live in without abandoned our village with all those condition.

We women in particular had suffered a lot first we walk for long distance to fetch dirty water from stream, pounds and hand dug well and during the dry season we migrate to river side every year in search for water though became the custom just to go drink such unclean water, we say it better to drink dirty water then to die of thirsty.  And indeed, our children became  sick because of drinking dirty water as matter of fact the issue of stomach-ache, typhoid   became the most common sickness in this village, since the creation we the community in this Village Ngiwiihoogo  we never drink any clean water, women have lost their hair in processes of  carrying water pot on their heads fetching  unclean water, rape related cases  to WASH were common in this village but who care anyway after all we are living in forgettable village, as you know  “Forgettable Village Is Forgettable Community” and so anyone can do anything and walkway without being arrest for the wrong doing, it’s difficult to find police officer in this village after all who will accept to stay here where there is no clean water and clinic anyway though they are the basic need for human being, lack of police station have given leeway to criminal in this village  to rape women on their way to river sides  since there was no law enforcement on the ground  in such scenario you find that its women who suffered the most in such situation, women are abused  in all aspects of lives, sexually, physically and emotionally, some women are still bearing the marks on their bodies as results.

In September 2020, the Christian Action for Relief and Development-CARD came here and talked about WASH for the first time we had seen NGOs coming to this village and talk about water, we said, we are forgotten community in living forgotten village what are you coming to do; because  we did took it seriously since  we know for sure nobody will ever think of us in this  Ngiwiihoogo (Forgotten Village) many questions came to mind at that time  and asked who dire could think good thing about Ngiwiihoogo, some of our artists had even went far and composed songs, we are forgotten  community or village in Jur River county  nobody will ever think about us and we shouldn’t dire think either that we have government in this state who think of us as people and citizen of this nation and support us one day.

That has been our position as communities of this village but Norwegian Church Aid through her implementing partner CARD have changed the narrative, they have drilled two hand pumps one in Ujot and Ngiwiihoogo, this restored hopes in NGO, today we drunk clean and quality water in this village called Ngiwiihoogo, I think we need to change the name of the village instead of Ngiwiihoogo (Forgotten Village/forgotten community to Hope Village which literally translate in Luo (Gaano) we were so much despaired, now we hope for more to come like schools and clinic in our community because they got we brought this clean water will bring the remaining ones to us.

We need to Change the name of this village is becoming unstoppable because the name we gave to this village has subjected us to many bad conditions which are unbearable and we always see outsiders as our enemies, we never thought that one day people far away from this country, will come in this village and rescue the situation and save us and change our lives stories.

We named this place because we had gave up hopes in our government, and now that NCA has brought changed in our village and restored hopes and our dignities, we are no longer live in out of reach an unwanted community instead we are now being considered by NCA as people and citizen of this country with this our hopes, spirit begin to renew again, we begin to feel the sense of humanity and acceptance and hopeful community. Not only that, our children will never suffer from waterborne diseases and typhoid which have been the biggest challenges in this village.

This water point will also address the issue of rapes which were related to access to water point, beside that we will no longer go to river side every year as we use to do in the past at least this year I will stay in my house for the whole year for the very first time, even school will be open here near the water point, because one of the challenge affect open school not to open here in this in this village since lack of water point was issue but now that case has been addressed by NCA we the availability of water point everything is going to start in this village. On behalf of my fellow women I want to thank NCA for bring dramatic live changing in our village, in our community and improve our lives and our village will not be longer forgettable village will become   hopefully community and hopeful Village.