Protection against crime for South Sudan children

Project Overview

Salama — meaning “safety” or “well-being” in Juba Arabic and Classical Arabic — is a child-centered project led by a renowned NGO, dedicated to promoting safety, protection, and dignity for children in South Sudan — a country facing complex challenges due to conflict, poverty, displacement, and weak protection systems.

With millions of children vulnerable to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and early marriage, Salama aims to strengthen the environment around children, raise awareness about their rights, and empower communities to play a central role in child protection.

The project emphasizes inclusion, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility, working closely with schools, families, local leaders, and youth to ensure that every child feels seen, heard, and safe — no matter where they live or what language they speak.

Role

Experience Designer

Time

2 months

Task

To design a journey for a world's known NGO system 'Salama' that would provide the security to the children in South Sudan

Tools

Figma,Miro

sudan map
Problem Statement
Children in South Sudan are exposed to extreme vulnerabilities due to conflict, poverty, displacement, and the absence of strong protective institutions. They are often subjected to horrifying violations of their rights, including rape, molestation, forced child labor, early marriage, and even being trafficked to other countries for slavery and exploitative labor.

Despite these grave realities, there is a severe lack of safe, accessible, and confidential reporting mechanisms for children to seek help. Many of the adults who hold influence in their communities—such as local leaders, teachers, or elders—are often either corrupt, afraid to intervene, unaware of child protection principles, or unwilling to act due to social stigma or fear of retaliation.

The current child protection system is fragmented and weak, with minimal trust from children or their families. As a result, children are left isolated, silenced by fear, and unprotected in a society that often overlooks or normalizes their suffering. A systemic, child-centered intervention is urgently needed to build a culture of safety, trust, and dignity.

Stakeholders

We identified the individuals in Bijo’s community with high and low levels of influence. Among the highly influential stakeholders—especially those in direct contact with children—the recurring issue was that many were either corrupt, fearful, or unaware of how to respond appropriately.

This insight, gathered from past cases discussed with the NGO, led to the decision to establish a new team and revised processes to ensure safer, more reliable support for children like Bijo.
stakeholder map

Persona

Original Size Image
Original Size Image

We identified the individuals in Bijo’s community with high and low levels of influence. Among the highly influential stakeholders—especially those in direct contact with children—the recurring issue was that many were either corrupt, fearful, or unaware of how to respond appropriately.

This insight, gathered from past cases discussed with the NGO, led to the decision to establish a new team and revised processes to ensure safer, more reliable support for children like Bijo.

Original Size Image

Reflection on Journey Map

1. Realistic Scenario & User Persona

Bijo is an 12-year-old girl from a village. She goes to school, helps her family with chores, and makes baskets to support them. Her story is a true example of how many children live in South Sudan.

Including a real problem like abuse and the risk of early marriage makes the journey more serious and easier to understand.

2. Structured Stages of the Journey

The journey map shows 8 clear steps:

Awareness → Knowing Something is Wrong → Wanting to Report → Reporting the Problem → Getting Protection → Taking Action → Healing → Speaking Out

This matches how child safety can work in places where there aren’t many services.

3. Emotional Landscape

The child’s feelings are shown step by step:

Curious → Careful → Scared → Hopeful → Relieved → Strong → Confident

This emotional path helps design messages that are kind, caring, and helpful for children who have gone through hard times.

4. Nuanced Pain Points

The map shows real problems such as:

  • Not knowing how to read
  • No phone signal
  • Fear of being hurt or punished
  • Bad or dishonest police
  • No safe shelters
  • Gossip in the village
  • Feeling ashamed

These are not just tech issues — they are emotional and social problems. That makes this journey map feel more real than many from other countries.

5. Opportunities Are Actionable & Locally Rooted

The map gives simple, useful ideas that fit the local culture:

  • Using radio and puppet shows to teach
  • USSD in local language, secret phone lines, or written notes to ask for help
  • Getting help from churches, elders, and safe houses run by NGO
  • Using stories and group clubs for emotional healing

These ideas show a deep understanding of South Sudan’s challenges and what works best there.

Child Protection Visual