South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The national Ministry of Youth and Sports, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has initiated a six-month internship programme aimed at equipping young graduates for the job market.
Joseph Geng Akech, the Minister of Youth and Sports, said the government appreciated partners, including UNFPA, for their support in initiating such internship programmes to mentor young graduates and help them realise their full potential.
“The government, led by the president, has instructed this ministry to initiate programmes for youth empowerment. We want to prioritise progress, and in that, there is a bit of mentorship. What we might call second liberation is to achieve economic prosperity,” said Akech on Wednesday at the Juba Grand Hotel during the launch of the youth volunteer programme.
“The young people are evidently the backbone of this country in terms of talent, resilience, and hard work. It requires education, starting a business, and hard work so that you can achieve prosperity and development,” he said.
Sarah Masale, the Deputy Country Representative for UNFPA, said South Sudan is a very young nation in every sense, adding that the 72 per cent population estimate for young people refers to children and those below the age of 30.
“Today we respond with action. Kubri, the Youth Volunteer Empowerment Programme for South Sudan, is our bridge from learning to earning, from study to service. South Sudan is a very young nation in every sense,” said Masale.
“Many of our graduates leave campus to find only closed doors: no job offers, no professional networks, and no practical pathways to serve their country. The result is often frustration, stalled careers, and lost national potential,” said Masale.
Philister Baya Lawiri, the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Public Service and Human Resource Development, said youth play a key role in development, adding that they are innovators and change-makers who shape the destiny of a country.
“The youth are a powerful force to reckon with in any nation where the government is mindful of its future. By launching this initiative, I know that the government of South Sudan is aware of the future of the youth of this country,” said Lawiri.
Godson Rembu Ladu, the chairperson of the board of Impact Health Organization (IHO), said the youth volunteer programme targets young graduates who have faced unemployment issues across the country.
“This programme is timely and essential, targeting our young graduates. We are answering a critical national call to unlock the potential of our youth in South Sudan, bridging the gap between those who are working and those who are not,” said Ladu.
The six-month youth volunteer empowerment programme, spearheaded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, supported by UNFPA, and implemented by Impact Health Organization (IHO), will train the first batch of 45 graduates aged between 18 and 35 years in different public institutions.
