Women’s Empowerment Project #2 Update
Empowering Women in Tonj South
We are pleased to provide an update on the ongoing Women’s Empowerment Project in Tonj South County, South Sudan. Strongly focused on enhancing women's access to clean water, sanitation, opportunities for improved livelihood, and financial independence, this transformative initiative continues to advance in its mission to positively impact the lives of over 5,100 community members.
Progress toward outcome achievements
Outcome 1: Equitable Access to Drinking Water Access Expanded
The installation of a solar-powered water well with a submersible pump and solar-powered system has been completed.
The construction of the Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP)—also known as fiberglass—elevated water tank has also been successful.
Two water kiosks, including a manhole and gate valve cover, have been completed. The installation of gates/doors is ongoing.
With this infrastructure, approximately 850 individuals (306 men, 515 women, and 29 persons with disabilities) now have access to safe drinking water. A household assessment is underway to refine this estimate.
Outcome 2: Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion
A new handwashing facility has been installed at the Women Empowerment Center, supporting safe hygiene practices for the women using the sanitation facility.
Ongoing hygiene education has reached 55 women from the kitchen gardening and VSLA groups.
Hygiene education was also provided to 541 individuals from surrounding communities through door-to-door visits. These sessions reached 88 men, 165 women, 113 boys, 155 girls, and 20 people with disabilities.
Outcome 3: Livelihood Skill Development and Food Security
Tailoring training is currently underway for 30 women, covering both general garment sewing and reusable menstrual pad production—both skills have the potential for long-term income generation.
The kitchen gardening group harvested three crops—jute mallow, amaranthus, and purslane—generating South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) 1,049,000 (233.46 USD) in total income, averaging SSP 34,967 (7.78 USD) per participant.
Seedlings of kale (sukuma wiki) and tomatoes were transplanted from the nursery bed to seedbeds.
Land preparation is in progress for the next planting season, including establishing a drip irrigation system to enhance crop yield.
Outcome 4: Building Financial Independence
The Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), formed earlier in the year, received seed funding of SSP 1,100,000 (200 USD). To sustain group growth, these funds were distributed as loans to members and non-members with varying interest rates based on membership.
Through weekly savings and social fund contributions, VSLA members have saved an additional SSP 338,000 (2,594 USD) this month, reaching a cumulative total of SSP 525,500 (4,034 USD) since March 2025, which has been loaned out to support individual business activities.
The kitchen gardening group also invested part of its vegetable sales income into small-scale businesses such as brewing, tea vending, biscuit (kabis) making, and peanut butter sales. It also initiated its own savings mechanism, reaching SSP 150,000 (1,152 USD) by the end of April.
Supportive Follow-Up Visit
Our WFSS strategic advisor and program manager conducted a monitoring and supportive follow-up visit for the women’s group and the water storage and distribution management team. This visit ensured quality standards across project activities and reinforced the commitment and accountability of local teams.
We’re grateful for the continued support from all partners and look forward to sharing more milestones from Tonj South in the next update. Together, we are building a foundation for lasting empowerment and resilience.
Stay tuned and follow us on our social media platforms for more exciting updates about the Women’s Empowerment Project. Thank you for your commitment to supporting this vital work.
