From Fear to Fields: Anyot Yar Mach’s Journey to Peace Through Agriculture

In Jonglei State’s Anyidi Payam, where the echoes of cattle raids once shaped daily life, a quiet but profound change is taking root.

Communities long fractured by conflict are finding healing through the land—guided by a new sense of purpose and the power of peace. One woman’s story captures this transformation with striking clarity.

Anyot Yar Mach remembers the fear vividly. “Before, my husband used to go on cattle raids—I never knew if he would come back alive,” she says. “Every raid meant I might lose him. I lived not knowing if we had a future.”

In many parts of South Sudan, cattle have long been a symbol of wealth, status, and survival. But they have also been at the centre of intercommunal violence, especially in regions like Jonglei where revenge attacks and youth mobilisation into raiding groups were common.

But for Anyot and her family, that cycle has been broken—thanks to the UN Multi-partner Trust Fund for Reconciliation, Stabilisation, and Resilience Trust Fund (RSRTF).

It's consortium, led by the World Food Programme (WFP), runs an Area-Based Programme in Jonglei which is equipping young people—particularly those formerly involved in cattle raiding—with practical skills, farming tools, and a path to sustainable livelihoods.

“My husband was trained and given tools to start farming,” she explains. “Now he goes to the farm, and I know he will return home. When I have time, I join him in the field. We are building something together.” In a region where conflict once overshadowed daily routines, the idea of a shared, peaceful life rooted in agriculture is revolutionary.

The results speak for themselves. Over 30 feddans of sorghum have been cultivated across Anyidi and Kadiang Payams, with each youth managing one to two feddans on average.

“The trainings have enabled us to view farming as a reliable livelihood,” says Mayoum Achiek, Chairperson of the Project Management Committee in Anyidi. “It’s not just about the crops—it’s about dignity, about not having to run or fight anymore.”

This agricultural shift is part of a wider impact. These efforts have not only improved food security and nutrition, but also contributed to better shelter, hygiene, and livestock productivity—demonstrating that peace dividends can be harvested from the ground up.

Anyot smiles as she watches her children help sort grain by the house. “This is what we want for them,” she says. “A life where they don’t fear the gun. A future in which the only fight is for a better harvest.”

In Jonglei’s shifting landscape, her words feel like seeds of hope—planted deep and growing strong.