About 50 women in Wau of South Sudan’s in Western Bahr el Ghazal state over the weekend graduated after gaining entrepreneurship skills following a three-month training.
The training supported by the national Women Advancement Organization covered different courses including the local production of soap, art craft baskets, wallets among others.
Speaking during the graduation, the state Minister of Youth, Culture, and Sports Mary Gabriel Tulba said her ministry is encouraging organizations to support the improvement of youth welfare in the state.
“We as the Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Sports encourage all organizations coming to build the capacity of youth because youth are the future of South Sudan,” said Mary. “Youth are the source of development and the weapons of South Sudan because the work that you are seeing small is not little. Be encouraged and now I know how to produce soap and I want to know computer.”
She encouraged the graduates to put into practice their new skills which she says will make them self-reliant and provide employment for others.
Some of the graduates who spoke to Radio Tamazuj during the event said they are now able the produce soaps and other items that they learned.
Suzan Martin, one of the graduates said, “I can now make soap and snacks that could help myself and my family and my community. This will enable us to take our nation ahead.”
Rebecca Eto said, “This organization has helped us a lot because we were staying idle at home doing nothing but after we were registered and trained, we have now got a chance to do our own business.”
For her part, the state director for Women Advancement Organization Poni Michael urged the graduates to make use of the knowledge they acquired and said they will offer them start-up kits.
“The little training that you have acquired, please try to make it useful to help yourself,” Poni said. “We will provide you with materials to start up your businesses and you will have control over your businesses to ensure they survive.”