South Sudan: Alek's Crafting Hope through Empowering Initiatives in Panyagor

Alek demonstrating her bead work of the South Sudan flag/ CARE South Sudan

 

In the heart of Panyagor, Twic East County, a tale of strength, perseverance, and the life-changing potential of acquiring new skills is told. 52-year-old Alek Aduom Akur’s journey intertwined with the EU-ECHO-funded project " Provision of integrated primary health care, nutrition, WASH, and protection services to conflict-affected and vulnerable populations of South Sudan" in 2023 when she started attending a CARE supported Women and Girls Friendly Space (WGFS) in Panyagor. The space provides women and girls with GBV support activities, information services and income-generating skills such as bread making, knitting, beads and bed sheet making. Alek as one of the many beneficiaries supported under Protection related services in the WGFS, has benefited not only from GBV support but also economic opportunities to contribute to self-sufficiency and resilience. 

Before the project, Alek, a mother and wife, faced numerous challenges. She had to provide for her family as her husband had no education and was unemployed. She struggled with paying school fees for her three children. two boys and a girl. The dream of giving her children a good education seemed to elude her until she crossed paths with the ECHO-funded project where she learned new skills becoming an expert in bead making and decoration. She proudly exclaims “You can see I have decorated the South Sudan flag. I have also sold clothes made from beads. At the end of every month, I get 200,000 to 450,000 SSP from selling my products.”  She added, “Thanks to CARE and its partners, “the project has equipped me with skills and experience for what I am doing. My children are continuing their studies, which is the most important thing for me. The support from the project helped me continue my work. My home is now stable compared to before” Alek has become self-assured and optimistic. She aspires to expand her knowledge and skills, particularly in influencing other women to follow in her footsteps and become self-sufficient. Alek is generously willing to train and support other women to become self-reliant.

The EU-ECHO-funded project implemented by CARE, in consortium with ACF and IMC, is an integrated multi-sectoral response to reduce mortality and morbidity of people affected by emergency levels of undernutrition, severe food insecurity, disease outbreaks and other vulnerabilities in South Sudan. Since 2022, CARE has been reaching the most vulnerable people in Twic East with Protection, Health care, Nutrition and WASH services. Alek's story is an outstanding illustration of the benefits of gender empowerment that can come from humanitarian services. WGFS are crucial for providing women and girls with a safe entry point for life-saving including GBV services, a place to access information and empower women economically.