Ministry officials, program partners, and trainees gather for a commemorative photo following the official launch of the Women Entrepreneurs Boot Camp at Orange Corner, Juba.
The Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare has launched a high-impact entrepreneurship boot camp in Juba aimed at equipping over 1,000 South Sudanese women with critical business skills. The initiative, delivered through the Women’s Economic Opportunity Fund (WEOF) under the South Sudan Women’s Social Economic Empowerment Project (SSWSEEP), underscores the government’s continued effort to promote inclusive and gender-responsive development.
The boot camp welcomed its first cohort of 600 women entrepreneurs, with an additional 582 set to follow. Participants were selected from a pool of more than 3,400 applications submitted during the WEOF Seed Lab call earlier this year. Training sessions are being held at Orange Corner, the Central Equatoria Women’s Union, and Accasia, and are expected to conclude on 18 August 2025 for the first cohort.
Following the training, participants will present their business proposals to a technical committee tasked with selecting 900 top entrepreneurs to receive grants ranging from USD $2,000 to $4,000. The grants are designed to accelerate business growth and long-term sustainability for women-led enterprises in South Sudan.
At the official launch, Director General for Finance and Administration Mr. Joseph Loro German praised the women selected to participate in the program. “You are the change makers and the builders of South Sudan’s future. Take full advantage of this training, then engage in collaboration,” he said.
Program Manager Mr. Timothy Yobuta also addressed the audience, highlighting the rigorous groundwork that shaped the initiative, including market assessments conducted two years ago. “We have established comprehensive feedback and redress mechanisms to ensure our support reaches those who need it most,” Yobuta stated. “This boot camp reaffirms our dedication to transparent, continuous stakeholder engagement.”
International partners echoed the significance of the launch. UN Women Project Manager Mr. Lansana Wonneh described the boot camp as transformative for households and communities alike. “This program will change your businesses, enable your children’s education, and strengthen your voice in household decisions,” he said.
IRC Country Director Mr. Richard Orengo emphasized the long-term economic impact of the initiative.