UNMISS Korean peacekeepers build community resilience through new vocational training programme

BOR - A new vocational training programme in Bor is giving 80 young South Sudanese the chance to acquire practical skills to help them earn incomes, build small businesses, and support their families.

The programme provided by the Republic of Korea’s Hanbit Unit, serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, will run for three months at the Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology.

The trainees will learn carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, agriculture and poultry farming, with the focus on hands-on skills that can be applied immediately after graduation.

For many of the trainees, these new skills are key to becoming self-reliant.

“Once I get my new electrical skills, I will be able to depend on myself,” explained Othow Omot. “I have seen successful people emerging from this training centre, and I am inspired to be like them.”

For another trainee, plumbing offers an opportunity to respond to the growing need for water and sanitation services in Bor and elsewhere in Jonglei State.

“I chose to be a plumber for myself and for the benefit of our community. I want to be self-reliant. Since we have an urban water system in Jonglei State, I want to be one of the people connecting the pipes.”

Other trainees are looking to agriculture and poultry farming as pathways to self-employment and food production.

“In our country we should prioritize food production. The more food we produce, the more prosperous we become, and there will be fewer cases of cattle raiding, and communities fighting,” said student Ajang Abraham.

The Hanbit vocational programme has trained 862 people since it began in 2015.

Graduates have acquired skills in other areas such as bakery and masonry. Some former trainees have secured employment with the United Nations and local businesses, while others have started small enterprises.

University Vice-Chancellor Abraham Matoc Dhal said the institution appreciates the support from the Republic of Korea.

“Dr. John Garang provided the necessary land for the operation of the vocational school,” explained University Vice-Chancellor, Abraham Matoc Dhal. “South Korea has done so much to support us. We know it and the Government knows it.”

For UNMISS, vocational training can also contribute to wider community resilience.

UNMISS Head of Field Office, Geetha Pious, encouraged the trainees to use the skills they acquire to create opportunities for themselves rather than waiting for formal employment.

“Study well, use it, and start your own businesses or create your own jobs. Don’t wait for somebody to offer you a job. Every big organization starts from small.”

The Commander of the Hanbit Unit, Colonel Joang-Dae Lee, said the programme is intended to support both individual development and the wider Jonglei State economy.

“The Hanbit Vocational Training School is more than simply a place of learning. It is a place of hope where you can build the skills, confidence and opportunities needed to pursue your dreams and shape your future.”

For the 80 trainees, the next three months are about more than learning a trade.

It’s about securing a pathway to employment, self-employment and income generation.

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By Mach Samuel