Business Skills for Street Children Discussed in Juba

(Juba) – The National Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon. Atong Kuol Manyang Juuk, held a meeting on Thursday, 26 June 2025, with a delegation from Save the Children to explore ways of supporting children in South Sudan through small businesses and microfinance. The delegation was led by Save the Children’s Country Director, Mr. Christopher Nyamandi.

Present at the meeting were Hon. Simon Nyang, a technical advisor, Hon. Ustaz Yel Luol, Undersecretary at the Ministry, and the Director of the Private Sector Department.

The session focused on building a partnership that promotes economic empowerment for children and vulnerable youth by supporting their access to entrepreneurship and financial tools.

Atong emphasized the importance of providing children and youth with practical skills to enable them to participate in income generating activities.

She highlighted the Ministry’s interest in working closely with organizations like Save the Children to implement small scale enterprise initiatives and to extend microfinance support aimed at benefiting children from low- income households.

A key focus of the discussion was the potential for digital tools to improve education outcomes. The Minister noted that integrating digital systems into training programs could help children and young people develop business skills and access better opportunities. She said such innovations would enhance both learning and earning potential.

The Minister also raised a concern about the rising number of street children in urban centers, particularly in Juba. She urged Save the Children to prioritize vocational skills training and center based rehabilitation efforts targeted at street children. She said this would not only help remove children from harmful environments but also prepare them to contribute meaningfully to society.

In her remarks, Minister Atong expressed her appreciation for Save the Children’s work in South Sudan and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to offering policy and operational support.

The Ministry currently facilitates access to small loans and microenterprise development for young people and women, which it hopes to extend further with support from partners.

Minister Atong concluded by thanking the Save the Children team for their visit and expressed hope for continued collaboration in addressing child vulnerability through economic empowerment.

No financial figures were disclosed during the meeting.