Women’s Empowerment Project Update
The second Women's Empowerment Project, funded by a private foundation, is underway in Tonj South County, Warrap State. This exciting project aims to impact the lives of 5,100 people in Tonj South and will have the following outcomes:
Drilling a water well,
Constructing a Women Empowerment Center to enhance the socio-economic status of women in various interventions,
Constructing a water storage and distribution system and sanitation facility at the Women Empowerment Center,
Establishing women-led management systems for oversight of the well, and
Implementing hygiene promotion activities, including Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), vegetable production, and life skills training on tailoring and production of reusable menstrual pads.
Construction of Women's Center building
Progress toward outcome achievements
Outcome 1: Provide equitable access to safe drinking water to vulnerable women.
Current access to safe water after well drilling at the women's center and temporary installation with a hand pump is estimated at 150 people (58 males, 73 females, and 19 people with disabilities).
Construction materials for the water yard development were procured and delivered to the Wau office. These include materials for constructing the 30-meter cube stainless steel tank and elevation tower, solar system, and submersible pump. Procuring a contractor to construct the water yard and the kiosks is in progress.
Outcome 2: Provide access to safe sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion at the Women's Center.
Construction of the sanitation facility for the Women Empowerment Center was completed.
The women's center provides safe sanitation to 57 women (30 kitchen gardening groups, 25 VSLA groups, and 2 hygiene promotors).
Within the women's center, 55 women from the kitchen gardening and VSLA groups received key hygiene messages, while 1,358 people from the surrounding communities were reached through door-to-door visits. The gender disaggregation was 212 men, 381 women, 301 boys, 438 girls, and 25 people with disabilities
Outcome 3: Improved diversified livelihoods skillset of vulnerable women groups.
Construction of the women's center was completed and awaits set–up with tailoring machines and office equipment.
A total of 10 tailoring machines were procured for the women group of Tonj South.
A tailoring trainer is contracted and ready to begin the training.
At the women's center, a kitchen garden 40 by 30 meters was established. Direct seed sowing was done, and a nursery bed was established with seedlings of sukuma (kale) and tomatoes being raised.
Outcome 4: Empowering women's financial independence by introducing Saving for Transformation.
One Village Saving and Loans Association of 25 women was formed and trained in finance management, saving, and loan issuance. The women's group initiated their own weekly savings of 2,500 South Sudanese (SSP) per person to generate capital for loaning. The weekly savings accumulated to 187,500 SSP, equivalent to USD 34.1.
Future Plans
Training the women's group on tailoring and production of reusable pads.
Training women on the management of the water well.
Constructing the water yard and water kiosks.
Constructing a hand washing facility at the toilet of the women's center
Training 35 Hygiene Promoters.
Stay tuned and follow us on our social media platforms for more exciting updates about the Women’s Empowerment Project. Thank you for your commitment to supporting this vital work.
