- Hanna Nyamal Yohanis is a South Sudanese law student who founded an NGO to help young people in her community access further education.
- Hanna participated in the Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme, which brought her to Tokyo and Hiroshima, Japan.
- The UNITAR programme helped Hanna develop and manage her NGO. She also gained a strong sense of direction and the confidence to get through challenges.
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23 August 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Hanna Yohanis is a South Sudanese law student who wants to help build a generation of South Sudanese who can reach their full potential. In 2023, Hanna came across a post about the UNITAR Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme. Drawn to its focus on food security and youth employment in South Sudan, Hanna applied to the programme. The programme has helped her develop an NGO to support young people in furthering their education and contribute to the development of South Sudan.
LEARNING IN JAPAN WITH UNITAR
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The Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security programme aimed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and network needed to turn their ideas for a social or for-profit enterprise into a business model that combats food insecurity, creates jobs, and contributes to building resilience and sustainable food systems in South Sudan. It ran in three phases, from August 2023 to March 2024, and was offered free for participants with the financial support of the Government and the People of Japan.
The programme started with online training for 326 learners from South Sudan focusing on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and agribusiness. Hanna found that the intense training surpassed her expectations, but the flexibility of the self-paced online training made it doable, despite her already full schedule.
The programme met and surpassed my expectations because the training was intense. Although they were self-paced, I felt like it was just something doable, and it also aligned with my calendar.” - Hanna Yohanis (South Sudan) UNITAR alum and NGO Entrepreneur
Her hard work paid off when she was chosen as one of the top 19 participants from the online phase who were invited to Japan for in-person training. Immersing herself in the culture and history of Hiroshima and Tokyo, Hanna discovered points of connection between Japan’s post-war development and the possibility for growth in Sudan, giving her hope for South Sudan’s future.
The case of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resonated with me. And I feel like if Japan was able to overcome this, although we feel like we are lost right now in our country, if other countries have made it, this is something that we can also work out as well.” —Hanna Yohanis (South Sudan), UNITAR alum and NGO entrepreneur
DEVELOPING AN NGO TO HELP YOUTH
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In the UNITAR programme, Hanna began designing an NGO to offer training programmes and guidance to young people so they can further their education. Hanna and her team provide personalized ICT training to youth and help those who completed high school apply for college scholarships.
“It’s a project we started before the in-person visit to Japan and to date, we are progressing well by relying on the teachings and the principles we were taught from the training,” she explains.
Hanna hopes to use the UNITAR training programme and resources to eventually expand her NGO across more communities, including reaching refugees in Kenya, so she can set more youth up for secure, successful futures.
MOTIVATED BY LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
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The UNITAR programme brought Hanna together with like-minded entrepreneurs and professionals. She says she received valuable guidance from them and helped accelerate progress with her NGO.
It was incredible having to meet a lot of people that are highly professional or highly qualified to take us through the training and make it more practical.” —Hanna Yohanis (South Sudan), UNITAR alum and NGO entrepreneur
The experience reconfirmed Hanna’s will to act and influence the world. She gained a strong sense of direction and the confidence to get through challenges, as well as to help other young people pursue their aspirations. She is determined to advance her legal career and further expand the impact of her NGO upon completion of her studies.
Hanna encourages fellow entrepreneurs to follow their passions, even in the face of fear and challenges. Hannah highlights the significance of being proactive instead of delaying tasks.
I would advise my fellows to follow their passion and find the strength to do what they’re passionate about or value as an individual. Sometimes you can get scared, but just do it.” —Hanna Yohanis (South Sudan) UNITAR alum and NGO Entrepreneur
United Nations Online Volunteers Darling Serwaa Boateng contributed to this article.
ABOUT UNITAR
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is the UN’s specialized training institution. In 2022, UNITAR empowered over 395,000 learners worldwide, providing them with the information and skills they need for a better future. UNITAR has a strong global presence, with offices in Geneva, Hiroshima, New York, and Bonn, as well as an enormous international network.
The UNITAR Division for Prosperity offers high-quality learning and knowledge-sharing services to present and future leaders globally. The UNITAR Division for Prosperity, which focuses on adolescents and women, works with a variety of partners on a local, regional, and global scale to address growing inequities.