CWS has been working with partner NSCC (New Sudan Council of Churches) following the civil war in South Sudan. The focus is on training women and young people, who missed out on formal education during the conflict.

They are taught life skills, trauma counseling, HIV and AIDS awareness, hygiene, accounting and sustainable farming. Participants then return to their communities to share their new knowledge.

The NSCC also provides some funding for small businesses, such as the Biswe Women’s Tailoring group. These five women from five different tribes are an inspiration as they work successfully together in a region racked by inter-tribal conflict. They began growing and selling cassava but with NSCC training expanded their venture to include a small restaurant, knitting and embroidering bedspreads, and sewing.

‘The NSCC staff have really opened our minds’, they say, proud of the planning and diversification skills they learnt.