Rebuilding in South Sudan

Forty year-old Alice Konga and her husband have six children between the ages of 10 and 22. During the recent civil war, Alice stayed in Juba to run a small business selling such items as tea and bread. Currently, she works as a painter in the Housing Ministry of Sudan.

Seeking to improve her business skills, Alice attended Counterpart International (Counterpart) workshops on small business management at a local cooperative. "When the brick-making project started in February, I decided it was time to officially join the co-op."

Alice looks forward to making bricks full-time at the co-op. With the profits, Alice dreams of building a new house for her family and of paying the school fees necessary for her children to get an education.

Hundreds of displaced families such as Alice's return every month to their empty homelands in Sudan – with no work, no schools, no hospitals, no homes. By providing basic start-up materials, a small business like brick-making helps families rebuild their lives in South Sudan and in turn helps the community reconstruct the homes they lost during the violence. Most homes in South Sudan are simply bamboo, plastic sheets and thatch roof huts. Providing high quality brick into the emerging market allows the infrastructure to grow. Strong homes allow families to have a more permanent residence, while Counterpart's basic business training and vocational skills ensure the benefits will last.

Please read more about Counterpart's Women and Girls Education and Livelihood Support Project.

Photo: © Counterpart International.