Can it: Women in South Sudan learn how to preserve foods

Through training with the International Trade Centre (ITC), women entrepreneurs learned to process and preserve fruits and vegetables along with preparing and packaging jams, tomato ketchup, and chilies.

A first cohort included 55 women entrepreneurs, including farmers and food vendors. They were trained on simple, appropriate, and affordable ways of processing and preserving fresh produce along with preparing and packaging jams, ketchups, and chilies. They also studied entrepreneurial skills such as taxation, branding, recordkeeping, and marketing.

At the end of the training, the women demonstrated what they’d learned by processing habanero peppers into chilli oil, and making tomato sauce and paste using local ingredients. Five women also learnt how to use electrical equipment such as a blender to prepare the products. Through these practical exercises, these entrepreneurs are now in a better position to become food manufacturers.

The training sessions organised under the ITC South Sudan Jobs Creation and Trade Development project provided immense visibility across Juba. Many of the women met with a representative of the Juba City Council to discuss ways of harmonizing tax collection in order to encourage food producers and traders to grow their businesses.

One of the trainees, Abuk Deng, was delighted that the training had improved her skills and knowledge in food processing. Now she can expand her business and raise her sales to better support her family.

‘My knowledge and skills in food processing have improved after this training. Now, I will be able to process more and at a low cost and take care of my children’s needs,’ she said. ‘I would like to thank ITC and the European Union for supporting us women entrepreneurs. I hope this knowledge can be extended to more women at the grassroots-level.’

The training was conducted in collaboration with the Government of South Sudan, and with funding from the European Union. The International Trade Centre (ITC) conducted the five-day training from 13-17 November 2023.

About the Project

The International Trade Centre’s South Sudan Jobs Creation and Trade Development project aims to increase the competitiveness of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and employment opportunities for the South Sudanese population engaged in the fruit and vegetable subsector.

The European Union-funded project contributes to addressing the value addition, competitiveness, job creation and trade development challenges of South Sudan. Specifically, the interventions of the project are expected to improve productive capacities and compliance to standards for MSMEs, increase market linkages for MSMEs and enhance employability and entrepreneurship capacity for the South Sudanese labour force, focussing on youth and women.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Trade Centre.