South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
More than 250 young entrepreneurs participated in the Youth Market exhibition held in Juba, showcasing a wide range of innovative products and business ideas. The event served as a vibrant platform to promote youth-led enterprises, encourage creativity, and connect aspiring business owners with potential investors and partners.
The youth market event, entitled “Youth Power Unleashed,” concluded on Saturday at the Youth Empowerment Hub, delivering a powerful call for innovation, advocacy, and community-driven change.
The two-day event brought together over 250 young people from across Juba to exhibit their businesses, exchange ideas, and connect with partners. Daniel Mwaka, Executive Director of the Youth Empowerment Organisation (YEO), emphasised the importance of building partnerships to strengthen youth entrepreneurship ecosystems.
He announced plans for future dialogues with senior business leaders on Daniel’s Show, aiming to further inspire and connect young change-makers.
“The event showcased handcrafted goods, agribusiness products, fashion, cosmetics, and digital innovations — proving that South Sudan’s youth possess the talents necessary to drive socio-economic development. We can’t talk about development without placing youth at the centre. This is a call to action — to listen, invest, and act. The event goes beyond exhibitions; it serves as a transformative platform for youth dialogue and advocacy,” he said.
The event was organised by the Youth Empowerment Organisation (YEO) in collaboration with the Central Equatoria State Civil Society Network (CESCSN), supported by AMREF Health Africa and Misereor – the German Catholic Bishops’ Organisation.
A key feature of the event was a vibrant panel discussion focusing on “Strengthening Youth Participation in Development and Decision-Making Spaces,” moderated by Mborimbuko Simon Kalesto and Anikang Sasha.
The panel addressed the challenges young entrepreneurs face, from navigating regulations to securing funding, and highlighted strategic approaches to financial literacy, business resilience, and collaboration with government entities, particularly the Ministry of Trade and Juba City Council.
The event, co-created with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), youth-led organisations (YLOs), and development partners, tackled some of the most critical youth issues through innovation and advocacy, including Youth Participation in Governance, Climate Action and Environmental Resilience, and Technological Innovation and Digital Solutions.
