EES women, girls to benefit from $5.26M economic empowerment package
By Theophilous Ochang
The government of Eastern Equatoria State has applauded a newly launched economic program under the South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWSEEP), worth USD 5,260,000.
The one-year project, formerly initiated by the National ministry of gender, Child and social welfare in partnership with UN women and Care international with funding from the World Bank, aims at increasing livelihood entrepreneurship and GBV services for women and girls in four counties of Torit, Magwi in Eastern Equatoria state and Wau and Jur River counties in Western Bhar el Ghazal.
The project will focus on organizing and strengthening Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups to promote financial inclusion and economic resilience, empower women and girls through business skills, formation of cooperatives and market linkages and engage men and boys to promote gender parity.
The project, which is expected to end in August 2026 also targets 30,000 individuals, including 22,000 women and adolescent girls and 8,000 men and adolescent boys in the two states of Eastern Equatoria and Western Bhar el Ghazal.
Speaking during the launch of the project in Torit on Wednesday, Peter Lokuju Marcelo, the minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare welcomed the project and called on the citizens to use it as an open opportunity.
“This project provides a wonderful opportunity for you, the people of Eastern Equatoria state. This is you chance to realise its benefits. We are going to work together to ensure it succeeds,” said the state minister.
On his part, Akileo Mboya, the minister of Cooperative and Rural Development in Eastern Equatoria State expressed gratitude over the project and urged its implementing partners to instill the principle of sustainability to enable locals be self-reliant rather than depending on humanitarian aid.
“We urge the partners working on implementing this project to ensure sustainability so that locals can depend on themselves and avoid over-relying on humanitarian aid. Our people must now focus on progressive development so as to sustain the VSLA programs,” he said.
Meanwhile, the acting Director General in the National Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Susan Felix Loro mentioned that the project will include various stakeholders and urged them to take responsibility to ensure it succeeds.
