At least 400 vulnerable men and women are receiving basic business skills training for ten days in Nimule town of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria state, for empowerment and self-reliance purposes.

The training which started last Friday is organized by Peace Link Foundation or PLF in collaboration with the Agency for Research Development Initiative or ARDI and supported by the UNDP.

Charles Okullu Cypriano the Executive Director for PLF says the training will come in handy when the beneficiaries receive a start-up fund meant to help them cope with the current economic crisis.

“We will train some 400 participants in basic business skills so that they can handle their businesses effectively in the future. We started the training on Friday and it goes on until the 10th day. We train 40 participants per day, basically women and also a few men who are also vulnerable, some of them are living with HIV," Okullu said. "We are trying to support them so that at the end of the day they can actually take care of themselves and also those who may not have support in getting the health services through the caseworkers will be able to be referred and get the required support from the health facilities." 

Boju Pensi the project coordinator of ARDI says they target vulnerable communities like adolescent groups with no support, primary caregivers of HIV survivors among others.

He says they will form groups that will be supported financially where each household is caseworkers receive 50 USD 

“We are forming these groups and we shall be able to give them small cash that they will start a small scale business and of course they will be guided throughout the life cycle of the project. We are giving something minimum not much, we need to see self-reliance in them," Pensi explained. "We give to households in which we shall encourage these households to be in groups that are serving an internal lending (a merry-go-round). They will contribute to what we are giving per household which is USD 50. We encourage them to come as a group so that we see how they can develop together.”

Aemani Beatres Koma a participant says the training will change her life.

“Sometimes we do small businesses but we don't understand some things, especially how to manage cash flow. We don’t control money, we spend more money than the amount we receive. We also need to know how to treat our customers, many times we send out our customers unknowingly."

Another beneficiary Gale Joyce from Malakia East residential area in Nimule says, “It is so interesting because I have not got such training before and what am doing now is not flowing because I have a limited idea on how to ho about it. Now with the training, I think it will help and transform my life more."

Ariak Peter Bior, another beneficiary says the training is giving him the confidence to think of starting his own business which he says will be successful.

"If I have money I will start my business and I know I have got the potential stepping stone that will not let me collapse,” he said.