South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Benjamin Takpiny
Senya Florence, a determined mother of one, operates a small juice stand beneath a table umbrella opposite KCB Bank. Despite long hours and modest profits, she pours her energy into the business, striving to provide for her family. However, her dedication is not enough to overcome the daily challenges of making ends meet.
Florence began her juice business in 2015 and recalls that in the early years before inflation took its toll, she was able to educate her two younger brothers through Senior Four. Unfortunately, due to the rising cost of living and declining returns from her business, she can no longer afford to support their university education.
“Every morning, I set up my juice stand under this small umbrella along Ministeries Road, right across from KCB Bank. I slice fruit, mix juice, and hope for enough customers to make a little profit. It’s not easy , sometimes I go home with barely anything, but I have to keep going. I have a child depending on me. This juice stand may be small, but it’s all I have to try and meet my family’s needs. I pray each day brings something better,” Florence told the Dawn in an exclusive interview.
She was able to pay her younger brothers’ school fees until they finished Senior Four and used to send money to her family in Uganda during better business days. However, she now struggles to put food on the table because everything is expensive, and sales have declined.
“There was a time when my juice business was doing well — well enough that I could pay school fees for my two younger brothers until they completed Senior Four. I even used to send money to support my family in Uganda. But things have changed. Now, I’m struggling just to put food on the table. Everything in the market is expensive, and customers aren’t buying like they used to. It breaks my heart, but I’m holding on, doing whatever I can to survive.”
She noted that business today is not like it was in those earlier years. Now, the income she earns goes primarily towards rent and food in Juba, and she cannot send money to her parents in Uganda as she once did.
Florence expressed that if she could receive capital support from well-wishers, she would be able to open another business or at least rent a proper space — somewhere she wouldn’t have to endure the scorching sun and rain every day.
Despite the challenges, she remains committed to her juice stand, as it is her sole source of income.
She urges other women who are unemployed not to wait for financial support from their spouses but to start small businesses, even if the income is insufficient.
“Don’t sit at home and wait for your husbands; do something small. Men nowadays appreciate women who work, unlike in the past when men discouraged their wives from engaging in business.”
Florence, who managed to support her brothers’ education until they completed Senior Four, insists she will never give up on her juice business because she has witnessed its positive impact, even though it is not progressing as it once did.
She is planning to open a larger space for tea and juice, but the lack of income holds her back.
Florence has been enduring harsh conditions, working under the blazing sun and in the rain. On rainy days, she often cannot work at all — her only shelter is a small umbrella, and heavy rain makes it impossible to remain at her spot.
“Sometimes I just pack up and go home with nothing,” she says. “I have no choice but to wait for the weather to clear.”
According to her, the location is only manageable when the weather is clear — but when it rains, she is forced to close the business and return home empty-handed.
Florence is not alone in her struggle; many women along Muniki Road face the same harsh reality. Day after day, they sit under the scorching sun, selling fruits and other local goods, just to earn enough to feed their families and support their parents. With no proper shelter or stalls, they battle heat, dust, and rain, yet remain determined to survive through their small roadside businesses.
