More than 60 graduates of a vocational training program received startup kits Saturday to help launch their businesses after completing a three-month skills course in Rumbek, Lakes State.
The training, organized by the Disabled Association for Rehabilitation and Development (DARD) with support from Oxfam and funding by Germany’s BMZ Cooperation, covered tailoring, hairdressing, catering and hospitality, and information technology.
Of the 60 graduates, 51 were women and nine were men.
Martha Lela Galu, a hairdressing graduate, told Radio Tamazuj she was grateful for the opportunity. “The training has empowered us,” she said. “With these skills and tools, we can support our families, educate our children, and even afford medical care when needed.”
Another graduate, Aluet Makur Magok, who trained in tailoring, said she plans to use her new skills in Rumbek’s market. “I will make clothes for my children, students, and anyone who needs tailoring services,” she said.
Abraham Machok, a catering and hospitality graduate, said he is ready to start his own business. “This training has given me hope,” he said. “I believe my life will change.”
Isaac Majier Major, Oxfam’s area manager in Rumbek, said the program aimed to build resilience and self-reliance. “We want graduates to generate income, improve their living standards, and lift their families out of poverty,” he said.
Each graduate received startup kits tailored to their trade, including sewing machines for tailors, computers for IT graduates, and cooking equipment for catering students.
Gabriel Maluac Yak, director general of the Ministry of General Education, praised the initiative and urged further investment in vocational training. “These skills transform lives,” he said. “We thank the donors and call for more programs to reduce dependency and boost self-sufficiency.”
The program, supported by South Sudan’s ministries of education and labor, is part of a four-year BMZ-funded project implemented in partnership with DARD.