Hope Agency for Relief and Development (HARD), in partnership with War Child Canada (WCC), officially launched the Pathways to Empowerment for Youth (P2E) Project in the Western Bahr el Ghazal State capital, Wau, on Tuesday.
The initiative, funded by the MasterCard Foundation and implemented by a consortium, is led by WCC and seeks to expand educational opportunities, foster economic empowerment, and strengthen resilience among refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities in Wau and Raja counties over the next six years.
Speaking at the launch, HARD Executive Director William Deng Anei emphasized that the program is designed to achieve four interconnected outcomes.
“The first outcome is to improve access to alternative secondary education for young people through the Accelerated Secondary Education Program (ASEP),” he said.
Deng added that the project will enhance youth capacity, create enabling policy environments, and broaden opportunities for young people across the country.
Karmela Augustino, Acting Chairlady of the Western Bahr El-Ghazal State Women’s Union, welcomed the initiative, highlighting its focus on women, who constitute 70 percent of the targeted beneficiaries.
“Women in Western Bahr el Ghazal urgently need education and economic empowerment,” she said. “We appreciate this project and urge technical training in sustainable business, particularly for women in Wau.”
For his part, Somin Athuai Akot, State Minister of General Education and Instruction, expressed strong support for the program. He urged educators to adopt innovative teaching methods that equip students with entrepreneurial skills.
“Teachers must broaden students’ minds to enable them to create jobs for themselves,” he stated, before officially declaring the project launched.
The P2E project is expected to reach more than 98,000 beneficiaries, with women comprising the majority.
By improving access to education, market-relevant skills, dignified employment, and supportive policy frameworks, the initiative aims to build sustainable pathways to resilience and empowerment for South Sudan’s youth.
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