In an initiative aimed at empowering local women and enhancing their livelihoods, the Women for Change Organization has commenced tailoring training for 20 women in Kuajok town.
The women, hailing from Gogrial West County, are set to undergo a five-month training program that seeks to uplift their living standards and enable their active participation in micro-economic activities.
Teng Deng Riing, the Warrap State Director of Gender and Social Welfare, appreciated the organization’s efforts and encouraged the women to embrace the training.
“This is a good program. It (tailoring) is a good skill and a person with skills helps him or herself. This program is for women and they are the ones suffering with families in South Sudan so if they are given skills, it will enable them to help their children and family,” he said. “I urge the women to encourage themselves to learn more because this training is very important and the women who got this opportunity, should complete it successfully and help themselves and other people.”
For his part, the Program Director of the Women for Change Organization, Atem Philip, explained that the project’s primary objective is to provide women with the knowledge needed to sustain their livelihoods. He said women are the most affected group by economic challenges resulting from conflicts, cattle raiding, and natural disasters.
“The training will close the economic gap in the families by generating resources and sustaining their living in the market,” he explained. “The skills the participants learn after the training will make them have financial freedom from their husbands.”
“The benefit will be seen when these women can take their children to school, provide food for their families, and meet their medical bills,” Atem added.
Meanwhile, Mathiang Madut, a trainer for Women for Change, said the training will include machine operation, cloth cutting, and measurement of clothes among others.
“This training is so helpful and I completed it in 2012 myself,” he said. “It has supported me in here Kuajok all these years and I pay for my school fees and feed my family.”
A trainee, Nyanut Mayar Akuei, thanked the organization for initiating the training and said it would help them in the future.
“I will get money from tailoring and feed my family,” she said. “I thank the organization for providing the training because one cannot depend on a husband alone but also provide support at home when they have skills.”
Another trainee, Abak Ajang, said she believes the tailoring course will change her life for the better and encouraged other women to enroll.
“I call other women to come and get trained because, after the training, I will work in the market and get money to pay school fees and buy food for the family,” she said.