Thoughts: Happy New Month of June.

May was kind to me. I celebrated my 35th birthday in the simplest way possible at home, in the company of one person. It was a quiet reminder that gratitude does not always require a crowd.

As we begin the second half of the year, however, I find myself reflecting on a question that has weighed heavily on my mind: Where exactly are we heading as a country, South Sudan?

This year is significant for me for two reasons. First, I turned 35, which means I have officially aged out of the youth category according to South Sudan’s constitutional definition. Second, 2026 marks almost a decade since I moved to Juba after completing my university degree in 2016.

Looking back over those ten years, I cannot help but compare the hopes we had then with the realities we face today.

Despite having a fully functioning government structure, unemployment remains a daily struggle for many young professionals. Businesses continue to close. Insecurity has become a growing concern, even within the capital city. Many families live from one paycheck to the next, uncertain about what tomorrow will bring.

As a journalist, I have watched another troubling trend unfold. Several major international media organizations have reduced or ended their presence in South Sudan. Space for independent journalism and freedom of expression has narrowed considerably. Increasingly, our stories are told by outsiders not because South Sudanese journalists lack the skills or capacity, but because many feel discouraged, constrained, or unable to operate freely.

After ten years of patience, hope, and patriotism, I find myself asking difficult questions.

• How long should citizens continue waiting for meaningful change?

• How long should young professionals keep believing that opportunities are around the corner when many have spent their entire youth navigating uncertainty?

• And what happens when an entire generation moves from youth to adulthood still struggling to find stability, opportunity, and a sense of progress?

I remain hopeful because hope is necessary. But I am also tired of seeing potential wasted.

South Sudan deserves better.

Our young people deserve opportunities.

Our journalists deserve the freedom to tell our stories.

And our citizens deserve to see tangible progress, not just promises.

As we enter the second half of 2026, my wish is simple: that we move beyond conversations and begin to see real, measurable change.

What are your thoughts? Are we moving in the right direction, and what needs to change most urgently?

Juliana Siapai
Freelance Journalist