South Sudan a country that just received its independence in 2011 and plunged into war after two years. Majority of the victims of these conflict have been children, women and the young men who have been recruited into the armed confrontation by both parties to the conflict. In Wau, Western Bar el Ghazal, just like any other town and state in South Sudan, the youth have not seen opportunities to support their welfare and sustain their livelihood. Majority of these young people have joined the army and other security organs as a way to make a living and support their families. However, in most cases, this does not bare fruits as conflict and war is unpredictable and most of these young people either commit atrocities against their perceived opponent or even lose their lives in the process.
Recently after the signing of the peace agreement, most of the young people have met challenges in the pursuit of jobs and opportunities that will improve their livelihood. A high percentage among the population of the youth in south Sudan has dropped out of high school, or stopped education at secondary level. This gives them disadvantage to compete in the local economy where most recruiters prefer work force with skills and expertise.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has invested in the young people across South Sudan through Vocational Skills Development Organization (VOSDO), With the dedication to support youth improve their livelihood and that of their families and loved ones. The number of unemployed youth in Wau is very high with most of the young men joining the armed forces to make a living while most of the young women prefer marriage as a solution to the dire financial situation. Young adolescent women prefer to marry in order to escape poverty while some are forced into marriages to generate wealth for their family.
In Wau, Hope was restored for most of the youth that wanted to pursue a profession and lacked the means and financial assistance to achieve these dreams. UNDP with support from the African Development Bank supported launched a project, SEED for youth aimed at equipping young people with the skills and knowledge in Technical education. The training targeted young people between the age of 18 to 30 who wanted to acquire skills in Tailoring, Carpentry, Mechanics and hair dressing.
These trainings were tailored and designed to prepare young people for success in their chosen trades. As most young people, lack the means to search for jobs because they do not have the skills needed to perform in the job market. Most of the employers prefer skilled labor and those that have experience in different trades. SEED FOR YOUTH was designed to provide professional skills to young people and also connect them to jobs for internship. Internship opportunities were provided to them through VOSDO in orderto enable them gain further knowledge in their field and increase chances of being employed once the training is completed. Knowledge is key, however experience is everything, the project provided the opportunity for young men and women to learn from those that are already in the market. VOSDO connected and linked graduates from difference courses to professionals and companies that are already in the market and possess the right workingenvironment in which these young people can learn.
Once internship was complete, majority of those that were assigned to specific companies were retained by some of these job providers. Many young people in Wau dream of a job in which they can be able to learn and earn a living to support their families. SEED FOR YOUTH was a great opportunity for the majority of these young people. Skill has always been the gap between youth and employment as majority are dedicated to see their lives transform and that of their loved ones. The biggest challenge has been the institutions and funds to pay for these trainings as most private training centers charge a lot of money to attain technical courses. As this opportunity presented itself, many young women and men joined the program as the hope for the future and the only way to lay a foundation for their lives. Those that received the training continued to work in different places and some of the trainees managed to start personal business, in the process employing fellow young people. Many lives transformed and a few young men who were combatants and enlisted in the armed forces managed to see new opportunities in the private sector. As skills grow and the possibility of being employed is high, many young men who were in the military saw other ways of providing for their families.
South Sudan is a young nation with a low rate of skilled labor among the youth especially those that are between the ages of 18 and 30. The implementation of the SEED FOR YOUTHproject in Wau Western Bar el ghazal has given the young population hope for a brighter future. Many who rely on manual work like carrying heavy food stuff in the market, pushing wheel barrows and washing cars, have found more skillful activities that though they require a certain amount of physical energy, they bring in more money compared to the income generating activities they were previously engaged in.
The project as intended to plant a foundation for the youth of South Sudan and make them more valuable and responsible citizens of the Country. As the title goes, the seed for youth to become more prosperous, more constructive and supportive to their families.
Crime has risen among the young population, both young girls and boys between the ages of 18 to 25 have participated in robbing, stealing from their neighborhoods as a result of idleness. These young people form criminal gangs and groupsparticipate in robbing and abusing drugs. Such incidents ofdelinquent behaviors have increased fear among members in society and the government is restrained in curbing such criminal activities.
The project extended significant effort in curbing and preventing youth from participating in violent and deviant activities. During the training, internship and after the training, the authorities especially the local chiefs have reported productivity among the young people. Some who were publicly known as gangsters and unruly were seen engaging in training and now they have normal jobs and are fully committed to supporting their families.
