Lily (not her real name) and her children, one of whom is deceased. (RoG).

In Ikwoto County of Eastern Equatoria State, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is grappling with shocking incidents of domestic violence against women and girls.

Root of Generations (RoG), which responds through pro bono services to the survivors, said Ikwoto records the highest number of GBV cases every week, ranging from wife battering to deadly bloodshed against women and children.

RoG Executive Director Dorong Grace said they are providing services to GBV survivors in Ikwoto, Budi and Kapoeta South Counties, where many of such cases are committed by intimate partners, who use cultural beliefs to justify the crimes.

“We record more than 25 cases. So far, from February to June are almost 125 cases and this is just in Ikwoto alone(a few areas like Isohe and Chahari, what about the entire County?). In Budi, we record more than 10 cases weekly.”

Ms. Grace narrated the story of Lily (not her real name), a 24-year-old widow, who suffered domestic abuse from her inherited husband.

Married at 16 years, Lily fled to a refugee camp in a neighbouring country after war broke out in 2016, with her 9-month-old son.

Unfortunately, her 21-year-old husband who decided to remain behind at home, died during a cattle raid, along Kidepo Valley in 2023.

While in a refugee camp, Lily happened to birth to another child outside of wedlock. She finally returned from the camp to finalize some rituals for her late husband as Logir tradition requires.

While at Napojore village, Lily was ordered to be inherited by the brother of her late husband.

In April 2024, Lily became the subject of abuse from her new husband, who accused her of infidelity while she was in one of the refugee camps. One time, he assaulted the widow, leaving her with a severe injury.

A few days after the incident, Lily’s husband found her 3-year-old baby playing with his elder brother in the compound yard, and, filled with rage, the man grabbed the baby by the legs and smashed him against the tree.

While the baby’s lifeless body lay and the neighbours watched the horrendous act in shock, the perpetrator then pulled the dead baby and locked him with Lily’s other child in the house for more than 24 hours.

Witnesses recall the man snarling “I don’t care who you are but if you dare me, I will finish you like this dead bastard.’’ as threats against anyone sympathizing with his victim.

Lily was helpless and her other son was left in shock at the side of his dead sibling. In the end, the chief of the area managed to convince him to release the body of the baby for burial.

– ROG notified –

RoG focal person in Ikwoto received the news about Lily’s situation through her closest friend but it proved very difficult to safely intervene.

The organization said having a direct conversation with Lily was almost impossible as the husband threatened anyone who tried to approach the woman and her child.

However, Lily’s friend, who notified the organization, devised a plan to engage the husband and request to meet the survivor at the nearest hospital.

“In the meeting at the hospital Lily proposed that the only way to ever survive was for her to return to the camp,” Ms. Grace said.

“But she nothing on her hand. Her husband controlled everything they had. To her, it was like a total prison with complete torture chambers.”

Fortunately, Ms Grace said RoG has Probono services through support from NPA, and Lily, with the help of her friend managed to escape from the grip of the most violent man in her life.

She later called the organization to confirm her arrival in one of the camps. Lily said had it not been for the Probono services, she would have been the next victim of violence from her late husband’s brother.

NPA has been along partner to ROG addressing protection concerns for women in Kapoeta, Budi and part of Northern Ikotos. But in 2023, a critical need for GBV survivors at the grassroots had been raised, that needed to go beyond awareness.

Probono services were suggested and have proven to meet many individual needs of GBV survivors, sometimes even life-saving.