World Youth Skill Day: Catherin's Entrepreneurial Journey in South Sudan

The South Sudan Jobs Creation and Trade Development project, implemented by the Internation Trade Centre, aims at improving the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and increasing employment opportunities for the South Sudanese, especially for youth and women. Catherin Lato, member of the Young Women Christian Association, became an entrepreneur after participation in seven economic empowerment  training sessions funded by the project. She then started her own business focused  on preserving vegetables and fruits.

“After receiving that training, I have started a business on how to preserve vegetables and fruits and how to make sure that you know they can stay for a long time” said Catherin.

She continued “Preserving fruits and vegetables and being able to sell them out there it has really helped a lot, I am a young woman, I am still in school, and so it has helped me to push through because most of my family members have moved when it came to 2016 war”.

Click here to hear her testimony: https://youtu.be/y9DAywT9aCI

More on the project 

The “Jobs Creation and Trade Development” project has been implemented in South Sudan by the International Trade Centre since September 2020, funded by the European Union Trust Fund for Africa.  The projects objectives are improving the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and increasing employment opportunities for the South Sudanese labour force, with a focus on youth and women. It aims to provide an integrated and holistic assistance for the development of small businesses in the fruits and vegetables value chain, ultimately improving the livelihoods of targeted South Sudanese populations through the creation of jobs and income.