(WAU, WESTERN BAHR EL GHAZAL) – Shelves filled with brightly coloured bottles of cleaning soap now line a small shop in Wau as two young South Sudanese women work to grow a business that began with vocational training supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO.
Monica and Theresa met during a Technical and Vocational Education and Training course in soap making organised in Wau in 2024. Today, they jointly operate a small business producing cleaning soap and shampoo for customers in their community.
Wau, the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, has become one of several centres where vocational skills projects are helping young people and women create small businesses and earn incomes in a difficult economic environment.
Before joining the programme, Monica operated a small home baking business selling cookies to neighbours and friends. Soap production was a completely new field for her. After completing the training, she spent three months in Warrap State teaching others the same skills before returning to Wau to continue building the business with Theresa.
The two women say access to raw materials remains one of their biggest challenges, while customer demand can vary from month to month. Despite these difficulties, they continue expanding production and supplying households with cleaning products.
Monica said young people in South Sudan should actively seek opportunities for skills development both inside and outside formal education systems.
In another part of Wau town, Marina is working to expand her hairdressing business after completing a three month course under the UNESCO supported TVET project.
Inside a busy salon at Wau market, Marina works alongside relatives and colleagues while serving customers seeking modern hairstyles and beauty services.
She said she only knew how to make one braid style before joining the training programme. By the end of the course, she had learned professional hair washing and drying techniques, dreadlock styling and the use of hot comb equipment.
Like many small business operators in South Sudan, Marina faces regular shortages of materials and fluctuating customer numbers. Even so, she said having an independent source of income has improved her confidence and financial stability.
Nearby, the sound of sewing machines fills a tailoring workshop where Machar works on school uniforms ahead of the new school term.
Machar joined the tailoring course with no previous experience. He initially wanted to learn how to make clothes for himself while improving his chances of securing employment. He is now employed at a local tailoring workshop where school uniforms have become one of his most popular products.
During school holidays, he also trains younger people in tailoring skills to help them remain active and gain practical experience.
Another graduate, Formina, now operates a tailoring business near her home in Wau. Before joining the course, she had no tailoring or business experience. As a mother, she decided to enrol so she could make clothes for her children and support her household income.
Formina said the internship component of the programme helped her improve practical skills such as measuring and cutting fabric, while also building her confidence to manage customers independently.
UNESCO said the stories from Wau reflect broader efforts to expand technical and vocational education across South Sudan as the country faces high youth unemployment and limited formal job opportunities.
The Wau training activities were implemented in partnership with the Women Advancement Organization. With financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida, UNESCO and its partners say they have supported skills training for more than 5,000 young men and women across South Sudan.
The programme focuses on literacy, vocational training and strengthening technical education systems to improve the quality and accessibility of training opportunities nationwide.
Development agencies say vocational education remains important for South Sudan’s economic recovery because it helps young people create income generating activities, supports local businesses and contributes to community stability.
UNESCO stated that although many graduates continue to face operational challenges including limited capital and shortages of supplies, projects such as those in Wau are increasingly viewed as practical pathways towards employment, entrepreneurship and long term economic participation for South Sudan’s growing youth population.