South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Awan Achiek
The Jemma Nunu Kumba Foundation on Friday donated non-food items to 20 South Sudanese returnees in the Joppa suburb of Juba.
The beneficiaries are among thousands of returnees who fled conflict since April 15 in neighboring Sudan.
Jemma Nunu Kumba, founder of a charity organization and also the Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) said the items which include sanitary pads, plastic chairs, and soap tea-making kits will help the beneficiaries particularly the women to start a new life.
“We thought we needed to give a helping hand especially for young girls, to provide them with sanitary pads and hygiene items like soaps and useable sanitary pads and under pads, because these are the basic things for a girl or women’s hygiene,” Nunu told journalists during the donation ceremony.
She said the items will also help the returnees to set up small businesses to support their livelihoods.
“We are also thinking of how they can sustain themselves in terms of livelihood, and that is why we are trying to group these IDPs and provide seeds or money or items that they can use to start the business,” said Nunu.
She disclosed that her foundation hopes the 20 women will open tea and juice shops.
“We have registered 100 but to start with, we are starting with 20 and we are also going to support the remaining 80 to establish small businesses that will support their livelihoods,” said Nunu.
Nunu called on South Sudanese and international organizations to support government’s efforts in assisting returnees and those in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
“I know that government is doing its part but the government can’t do everything, and that is why we are calling upon non-governmental organizations to extend a supporting hand to the government to help these returnees and also people in need in our community,” she said.
Joy Daniel, one of the beneficiaries hailed Jemma Nunu Kumba Foundation for the in-kind support.
Daniel, who dropped out of university said the money she will be getting from her tea shop will help her in paying her school fees and also help her siblings.
“I am super excited for what mama has done for us, it means a lot for ourselves and it is not only for me but to help my siblings and other people around me,” she said.
Established in August 2022, Jemma Nunu Kumba Foundation is a non-profit making organization that support education for girls and boys and is also engaged in women empowerment programs.
More than 440,000 people have crossed into South Sudan from Sudan, since fighting erupted on April 15 between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
South Sudan is already hosting over 2.2 million internally displaced persons.
