On May 24, 2022, the MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience team in South Sudan assisted the USAID/South Sudan Mission health office to organize a USAID-sponsored commemoration of International Mother’s Day. The event, “Healthy Mother, Healthy Family,” was held at the Nyakuron Cultural Center in Juba, South Sudan’s capital and largest city.

Event activities included presentations and testimonies from mothers about their experiences in childbirth and motherhood, as well as skits, songs, and a dance about motherhood.

One of the speakers, Lilian Nyoka, mother of six, urged husbands to support their wives during pregnancy. “Please arrange time to be with her in the hospital,” Lilian said. “I would love if you could accompany her to where she is receiving antenatal care. That can encourage her so much.”

Booths displayed information and different program activities on maternal, newborn, and child health; voluntary family planning and reproductive health; voluntary counseling and testing for HIV; and COVID-19 vaccinations. USAID-supported women entrepreneurs also showcased their products, such as liquid soap and dresses.