The Lakes State Government and AVASI Foundation, an organization supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, have inaugurated a women’s milk processor in Rumbek.
The event on Wednesday, attended by senior government officials, women group representatives, the AVASI and the embassy staff, took place in the Rumbek municipality.
Rumbek Mayor Akol Paul Manyang commended the Dutch embassy in Juba for the contribution to the Akon Buoi Milk Cooperative Society and the other projects in Rumbek Central, Wulu and Cueibet counties.
“We are happy for the support you have given to our local communities,” he said.
“This milk facility is built on a land given to our mothers for their businesses. The Government of Lakes State provided this land to our dear communities to carry out their day to day businesses,” he added.
Vuren Arend Van, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said he was happy to open and commission the new milk facility.
He said the Netherlands would contribute to support the development of the facility.
“We are working together as a community to overcome our challenges,” he said, noting that the facility symbolized the collective steps forward by addressing the challenges faced in development, particularly in Cueibet and Wulu counties.
“I understand that they had to walk long distances under the hot sun to come and sell their milk and now this is their point of sale for quality milk and for testing,” he said.
“We provided quality equipment, quality assurance and we are also enhancing the capacity of development in this society,” he added.
The AVASI Foundation regional manager based in Nairobi, Andrea Bianchessi, said he was happy to celebrate with the people the opening of the milk factory.
“I would like to thank our mothers, who are here. It is also important that this cooperative is a sign of our empowerment to take the decision to pursue,” he said.
He said AVASI was supporting 1,000 to 8,000 small farmers in Cueibet and Wulu and had an important component in Rumbek.
State Agriculture Minister Poth Majak Daljang said that the government was happy for the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands’ support, implemented by AVASI.
Rumbek milk seller Hellena Apen Mabil expressed her joy for the support.
She said the only thing lacking now was the transport for the milk to the market.