Women Entrepreneurs in Juba Receive Business Grants

(JUBA) – The Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare has signed grant agreements with 249 women business owners in Juba under the South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project.

The signing event took place on Thursday and marked a major move toward helping women earn income through their own businesses rather than depending on humanitarian aid.

The grants are part of the Women Entrepreneurial Opportunity Facility, which is being carried out by the Ministry in partnership with UN Women, the International Rescue Committee and Open Capital Advisors.

The programme trains and supports women to grow their businesses and take up a stronger role in the national economy.

Most of the women are part of the Seed Lab group. A total of 245 women each received grants between two thousand and four thousand United States Dollars, equal to between fourteen million two hundred thousand and twenty eight million four hundred thousand South Sudanese Pounds.

A smaller group of four women business owners, under the Growth Lab group, received grants ranging from fifteen thousand to fifty thousand United States Dollars.

This amount is equal to between one hundred six million five hundred thousand and three hundred fifty five million South Sudanese Pounds.

The Growth Lab is designed for businesses that are already operating and planning to expand. This brings the total number of Growth Lab grant beneficiaries to eight so far.

Grant Ranges

The beneficiaries completed a detailed training process before being selected. The training included a five day Boot Camp which focused on business planning and basic financial skills.

This was followed by an accelerator programme that covered market study, financial management, gender issues and the effect of climate on livelihoods.

The Undersecretary of the Ministry, Esther Ikere Eluzai, signed on behalf of the government. She said the initiative is linked to broader national development efforts.

She told the recipients that their work as business owners contributes directly to economic progress. She added that the project aims to reduce dependency on relief and promote independence through enterprise.

She said the grants were not given without effort and that the women had been selected through strict requirements. She encouraged them to expand their businesses and to compete fairly in the market.

Jane Tumalu, Chairperson of the Grants and Technical Assistance Committee, said that the selection process was demanding, but the women shown to have strong commitment succeeded.

Richard Orengo, the Country Director of the International Rescue Committee, noted that when women strengthen their businesses, they often employ other women, and this supports many households.

Lansana Wonneh of UN Women said that the grant signing marks only the beginning. He encouraged the business owners to grow their work to larger scale operations over time.

Project Manager Timothy Yobuta said the day was one of celebration and recognition of the effort made by the beneficiaries. He said the Ministry is committed to supporting women and girls to move out of poverty through sustainable enterprise.

Speaking on behalf of the Growth Lab group, businesswoman Adut Jervase described the process as challenging but rewarding. She expressed joy and promised to use the grant wisely to improve her business.

Another representative, Dorrisilla Keji, speaking for the Seed Lab group, also pledged that the funds would be used for their intended business purposes.

The project is funded by the World Bank and aims to strengthen the economic role of women in the country.

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