LocationsHuman Interest Stories First cohort
Youth Enterprise Development and Capacity Building Project
December 9, 2025
Deng Maker Mathon posting in one of his groundnuts and grains shops/stores in Rumbek central Market
Maureen Omwanda/2025
Deng Maker, 31, owner of Ajuar Enterprise and a resident of Malual-akan area in Rumbek central county who benefited from Youth Enterprise Development & Capacity Building (YEDCB) cohort 1 project which is implemented by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Vocational Skills Development Organization (VOSDO) as an implementing partner and funded by African Development Bank (ADB). After a successful business management, entrepreneurship and VSLA training, he received a loan of 3,000,000 SSP and start investing it.
Before he was selected and given loans in 2023, Deng Maker was not having any business activity and had a very difficult living conditions with his family of 12 members but after he got 3,000,000 SSP in loans, he immediately started to invest and quickly generated a lot of income through the sales of grains and groundnuts. In a period between 8th December 2023 – 30th September 2024, he was able to accumulate a significant wealth up to 280 bags of groundnuts and 100 bags of sorghum which equate to SSP 16,800,000 and SSP 12,000,000 respectively among other stocks he sold.
He explained that he was able to make a lot of profits of this nature because he was given money at the right time harvest (harvesting season) when things were still cheap. As a result of this business successes, paid all his loans (3,000,000 SSP) since September 2024, rent another store to keep his other goods/items, employing six people (2 females & 4 males) who get a weekly payment of 70,000 SSP each, brought the family to Rumbek center for the children’s better education and proper health services and pay a rent for his residence in Malual-Akan. Despite all these expenditures like improving the lives of family members and close relatives & clearance of loans, his current business status is stable and growing as he records a sale projections average of 1,465,000 SSP per day.
According to him, this Youth Enterprise Development & Capacity Building (YEDCB) project funded by African Development Bank and implemented by UNDP is the only project which has made a significant impact in the lives young men and women in this state by giving youth a rare business opportunity to change their own lives and one of others altogether and be self-reliant. Therefore, I urge to our young people to take these opportunities seriously when they come your way and I would also like give very much appreciation to UNDP and African Development Bank for bringing us this important project and would like them to continue bring more and elevate our youth from poverty and economic crisis our country is facing right now. Business is the only way out, he concludes.
Weeric mabor posting at his grocery shop at Deng Nhial market, airport road
Maureen Omwanda/2025
Weeric Mabor, a single and 25-year-old resident of Makuriric, Rumbek central, started his business back in 2018. He has been operating business/selling his goods on a small wooden table for three and half years until when he received loan of 2,000,000 SSP from YEDCB project supported by UNDP and implemented by VOSDO, what he describes as “turning point” in his business and general livelihood as well. As a result of the loan he received on 15th December 2023, he had finally left selling on wheelbarrows and wooden table, built his own shop and bought large stocks of goods.
He is currently stationed in Rumbek central market (Mangateen business area) next to Zeriib Black market with daily sale projections ranging from 1,800,000 – 2,000,000 SSP. Due to the recent rapid growth of the business, he has employed two people (2 male staff) to help him run the daily operations and he is also planning to put his little siblings back to school this year and while managing other family issues. He paid back the loans of 2,000,000 SSP that was given to him. Despite high cost of goods, multiple taxes he is still thriving well in his business activities. He’s so grateful to African Development Bank, UNDP and VOSDO for the support provided to him and other people in lakes State.
Madelena Stephen at her restaurant with newly acquired furniture
Maureen Omwanda/2025
Madelena Stephen, 35, a widow and a resident of Akuac residential of Rumbek Central County, established a restaurant on airport road opposite to Ivory Bank. She is a beneficiary of YEDCB cohort 1 (Youth Enterprise Development and Capacity Building) Project where she received a loan of 3,000,000 SSP on 18th December 2023. As a result of loan she received, she is able to establish her business by buying chairs, tables, tents to provide enough shade within the restaurant’s premises, and other essential cooking utensils.
Before she got the loan, she was recording daily sale projections of 80,000 SSP compared to 1,000,000 -1,200,000 SSP daily sales right now after she benefited from the loan. Due to her business growth and gaining of more profits, she has now employed five (5) people; four (4) females and one (1) male and paying school fees for four (4) children among many other family responsibilities. She had also established another business in the city center at Rumbek Main market. She said that programs like these should be continued to help people.
Laat Mariec Majok at his shop
Maureen Omwanda/2025
Laat Mariec Majok, a 35-year-old man living in Achol Thin residential area of Rumbek Center of Lakes State. Married with three wives, fourteen children and the head of the family providing for wives children and two younger brothers together with his mother. In the past he was depending solely on subsistence farming where has faced many challenges mostly financial and he was not able to provide for the family. Most of the time when someone is sick with in the family, it is very difficult to take the person for treatment and buy medication. We mostly relied on loans and government hospitals which are not as effective as private hospitals.
Before he was given loans in Youth Enterprise Development and Capacity Building (YEDCB) project, he was running a small grocery shop in Rumbek center selling food items like maize flour, sorghum and sugar. This business was struggling as it was difficult to expand and procure variety of items from the whole sellers who always requested us to order with cash.
When he applied for the loan in July 2023, the loan was approved, and the group was given six million south Sudanese pounds (6,000,000 SSP). The Financial assistance we got from this project has really helped me and the group; it has ensured that our businesses grow and expand. Ever since I got this loan, I have been able to increase the stock in my shop and also employ two more shop attendants (1 female & 1 male) to make sure that operations are properly managed and that there is no gap in routine shifts and service delivery.
On top of adding more stock to his business, he was able to open a small branch within the city center next to the park for those going to Wau and Juba. He’s really grateful because after doing all this initiative, his life has changed for better. The loan is really, something that is at the center of his personal progress.
Before the loans were disbursed, he was provided with skills on financial management and entrepreneurship and able to learn how to record daily profits and losses and keeping track of the business. At the same time after receiving the interest free loan and business management training, he was given mentorship and coaching.
He is really grateful that he got this loan, His life has changed completely compared to when I was relying on subsistence farming only. Now the big family that he was taking care of, appears to be smaller because the business is helping him reduce the burden.
