Christopher Taharir Information Secretary for Tore Youth Association in Juba (L) and Simon Taban, Association’s Secretary speaking to Eye Radio's Dawn show. Photo Credit: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio.

A group of youth from Yei River County in Central Equatoria State has mobilized over 400,000 pounds in a fundraising initiative to support health services in their area.

The residents of Tore Payam say lack of access to basic services like healthcare, education, and clean drinking water are the major challenges facing the area.

Christopher Taharir, the Information Secretary for Tore Youth Association in Juba said they have raised the fund to buy essential medical items like first aid kits and drugs.

“We have raised currently 400k sometimes South Sudanese pounds, but we have got the start, the initiative is ongoing,” Taharir told Eye Radio.

“Our plans with that money is to buy drugs like for first aid kits so that we can be able to deliver to our people because they are not receiving this health service, so we felt concerned as the youth.”

The youth leader also said they are concerned with the lack of basic service in their area.

“We really need services, and this is what we are yearning for and this is what our people on the ground are yearning for.”

“We need those services more, especially the roads need to be rehabilitated and the health sector so that our people can be in a position to access those services.”

On his part, the Association’s Secretary Simon Taban appealed to aid agencies and the Central Equatoria State authorities to reconsider Tore Payam in service delivery programs.

“The people of Tore are really vulnerable as we talk now. We lack these basic services as mentioned, road, health, no clean water and we have all these humanitarian agencies apart from a government initiative,” he said.

“We are asking the leadership both at the state level and at the county to actually look into this issue and channel this assistance to Tore that is our appeal.”

Tore Payam is located in the western part of Yei River County and borders Maridi County of Western Equatoria State to the west and DR Congo to the South.