Last week, Jacob Mayom Malueth and 32 other young men and women graduated after six months of coursework at the vocational training centre in Bor, run by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. They were the tenth batch to do so since December 2015.

“With this knowledge we will transform our families and South Sudan,” said Mr. Malueth proudly as he received his certificate of agricultural skills.

Other students obtained proof of their new know-how in fields as diverse as bakery, electrical work, welding, construction and carpentry.

Hanbit is one of the South Sudan human resources development programmes run by UNMISS peacekeepers from South Korea.

The school, operated by South Korean engineering troops serving with the peacekeeping mission, was opened to contribute to the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Jonglei region, and to link employable youth with those hiring workers for the public and private sectors.

Over the course of the last four years, a total of 552 South Sudanese youth, some of them women and some being internally displaced and staying at the UNMISS protection of civilian site, have graduated with new and valuable skills.

A few of the successful students have been employed by the peacekeeping mission, but most have found, or created, job opportunities on their own, with many making a living as self-employed professionals at the Marol Market in Bor.

With such a stellar track record of his predecessors, Jacob Mayom Malueth is brimming with optimism.

“The standard of living of our families will improve. We shall also contribute to increased food security in our country,” he said.

Starting in May, the vocational training centre will recruit an eleventh batch of hopefuls. They will be taught by South Korean experts and South Sudanese professionals alike.