German Ambassador visited UNDP and Germany-funded vocational training centre in PoC3 in Juba

April 23, 2018

German Ambassador to South Sudan, Hon. Jan Hendrik van Thiel, Alexandra Guhr -Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, and Rowland Cole, Chief Technical Advisor at UNDP South Sudan, welcomed by the vocational trainees and FODAG partners in PoC 3, Juba

The German Ambassador to South Sudan, Hon. Jan Hendrik van Thiel, visited the vocational training centre supported by UNDP and Germany in one of the Protection of Civilians Sites (PoC) in Juba. UNDP’s local partner “Foundation for Democracy and Functional Governance” (FODAG) launched this vocational training project in Juba on Friday 9th March 2018.

The tailoring & design section of the vocational training welcomes 130 trainees, 103 women and 27 men

Less than two months after its commencement, significant progress is visible. While the tailoring & design, and the computer & ICT sections attract the most trainees, the baking section has a new oven and the carpentry and masonry sections have new spaces for trainees.

The empowerment and livelihood initiative at the Juba PoC 3 site forms part of a broader spectrum of German support to UNDP’s Access to Justice and Rule of Law project. German funding supports the strengthening of SGBV referral pathways for vulnerable people, especially those affected by recent conflict both inside and outside PoC sites, through the establishment and operationalization special protection desks, provision of legal aid, strengthening of community watch groups and establishment of victim support groups.

These engagements are undertaken inside PoC sites in coordination with UNMISS and CSOs, and outside of the PoC sites to vulnerable people, with the aim to provide regular service to the conflict-affected population, with special focus on gender issues. Specifically, empowerment and livelihood component includes the establishment of two pilot skill development centres in PoC sites in Juba and Bor.

The new masonry and carpentry sections of the livelihood training center can now include more trainees

The empowerment and livelihood initiative provides training for a total of 280 persons. The training covers the following vocations:

  • Baking - 30 trainees (including 4 male)
  • Carpentry - 30 trainees (all male)
  • Masonry 30 trainees (all male)
  • Computer and ICT skills 60 trainees (including 11 male)
  • Tailoring and design 130 trainees (including 27 male)

The project aims to provide livelihood skills for IDPs to ensure their self-sufficiency and prepare them for productive lives upon return and reintegration into their communities. By providing productive alternatives the participants, the project also seeks to reduce crime.

This in turn is expected to feed into the peace architecture of South Sudan in that by extending skills to community members as tools to replace the tendency for violence with stabilization and recovery as an integrated, holistic but targeted process of enabling societies to build mutual accountability and capacity to address and mitigate existing or emerging drivers of violent conflict while creating the conditions for sustainable peace.

For more pictures of the livelihood training centre:

End of the visit celebrations between partners and trainees

The vocational training centre focuses mostly on women, but also welcomes many youths