Twenty-Five South Sudanese Professionals Complete Workshop on Project Proposal Development and Social Entrepreneurship

18 October 2017, Hiroshima, Japan – After five days of focused learning in Hiroshima, Japan, Workshop III of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) South Sudan Fellowship Programme came to a successful conclusion. The 20 Fellows, supported by five Coaches, gained practical skills on how to develop an effective project proposal, incorporating a need or problem derived from the findings of individual needs assessments undertaken in the field.

On day one of the workshop, Fellows presented the findings of their needs assessment and project proposals, utilizing the Result Framework and smart indicators, in front of their colleagues, Coaches, Mentors, and UNITAR staff. A significant improvement was observed during the final day of the workshop, when Fellows presented their project proposals again after polishing them throughout the week. Learning was further augmented by Coaches providing feedback and insight gained from their own experiences with the programme in previous cycles.

Fellows were particularly interested in the recovery and reconstruction process of Hiroshima. During a guided visit to the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, H.E. Ambassador Isaac Chinkok Kenti Deng, Director General of the Institute of Diplomatic Studies and Training and who was invited to the workshop as an observer representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Republic of South Sudan, said, "Hiroshima is a historic site, being the first place in history to have an atomic bomb used on it. It is where the consequences were seen and where mankind learned many lessons. I appreciate that the training is held here because of all the lessons to be learned. Any country that faces disaster of this magnitude but has the resilience of its people can recover. The Fellows can learn from this, and what they learn will benefit South Sudan."

UNITAR Hiroshima Office Head Mihoko Kumamoto commented, “It was encouraging and inspiring to see how far the Fellows have come since Workshop I in terms of their knowledge and skills for effective project cycle management and leadership. They returned to Juba and will contribute to establishing sustainable peace in South Sudan as dedicated leaders for their people. We truly believe their work is a great hope for South Sudan.”

Juma Charles Simon Geri, a Fellow representing the South Sudan Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, said, “I learned important skills on how to develop a project proposal that will help me do my job well and improve the overall performance of my organization.”

About the Programme

The UNITAR South Sudan Fellowship Programme was developed by the UNITAR Hiroshima Office, with funding support from the Government and People of Japan and with institutional support from the Government of the Republic of South Sudan, to cultivate the social entrepreneurship and project-development knowledge, skills, and attitudes of selected South Sudanese professionals. The programme features a blended learning methodology and includes asynchronous and online training, coupled with two Juba-based and two international workshops. Each workshop links with Fellows-led projects examining challenges and opportunities as they exist in South Sudan today.

South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is the political focal point for the programme and the Ministry of Labour, Public Service, and Human Resource Development is the operational focal point.

For more information

Read more about the South Sudan Fellowship Programme.

At the UNITAR Hiroshima Office

Shamsul Hadi SHAMS (Mr.), Email: shamsul.shams@unitar.org, Phone: +81 82 511 2424

At the Embassy of Japan in South Sudan

Takanobu NAKAHARA (Mr.), E-mail: takanobu.nakahara@mofa.go.jp, Phone: +211 (0)959 003152

Photo captions: (upper) Fellows during a session of Workshop III in Hiroshima; (lower) Fellows and UNITAR staff pay a courtesy call to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Japan