Guya Scopas Bethuel
A new women’s empowerment centre has been inaugurated in Nyamlel, Aweil West County, with the European Union and Germany pledging continued support for initiatives aimed at expanding economic and social opportunities for women and girls.
The Nyamlel Women’s Centre was officially inaugurated on September 9 by Nicole A. Hofmann, Deputy Head of Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to South Sudan, and Alice Oleya Jino, Programme Manager at the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.
The centre was constructed with funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the ResPEct project, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
The inauguration brought together local government officials, community leaders, women’s groups, residents and development partners before the facility was formally handed over to the Women Association of Aweil West.
Speaking at the event, EU Programme Manager Alice Oleya Jino said the centre would provide more than physical infrastructure for women in the area.
“This centre represents far more than a building. It is a safe space, a place of support, and a symbol of hope for women and girls in this community,” Jino said.
She said the EU was proud to support initiatives promoting dignity, protection, empowerment and opportunities for women and girls.
Germany’s Deputy Head of Mission Nicole A. Hofmann said the centre would help women strengthen their livelihoods, increase their participation in community affairs and take on leadership roles.
“Today, we are not simply marking the completion of a building; we are opening the door to greater opportunities for women to build their livelihoods, strengthen their voices and shape the future of their communities,” Hofmann said.
The Centre is sits on a 46-by-25-metre plot and consists of three rooms designed to accommodate training and empowerment activities in a safe and inclusive environment.
According to GIZ, the facility is expected to provide women with access to skills development, entrepreneurship support, business and livelihood opportunities, networking and community engagement.
Before the inauguration, women had already participated in a range of capacity-building activities under the ResPEct project.
These included seven business and financial management trainings, five leadership and people-management trainings and seven gender-based violence prevention trainings. Refresher sessions are also being conducted as women prepare to take over the management and use of the centre.
The programme has also engaged men through community dialogues on gender roles and responsibilities, intending to strengthen community support for women’s empowerment and prevent sexual and gender-based violence.
The ResPEct project has primarily targeted women in Gumjuer Center Payam, Gumjuer West Payam and Meriem East Payam, also known as Wedwil, in Aweil West County.
Women from Meriem West and Achana Payams have also benefited from the training activities.
A photo showing GIZ staff, donors, government staff and community at the opening of the Nyamlel Women’s Center. (Photo: Courtesy)
Since September 2025, the project says 480 women have participated directly in its training programmes, while 300 stakeholders and 420 young people have benefited indirectly.
Kenyi Mark Peter Luba, Field Technical Advisor at GIZ, said the training conducted during construction of the centre had prepared women to make practical use of the facility.
“Training delivered during the construction period has laid a strong foundation for sustainable livelihoods and empowerment,” Luba said.
He added that women in Aweil were looking forward to using the new facility to strengthen their businesses, share knowledge and create opportunities for future generations.
Among the skills being promoted through the programme is structured bookkeeping, which is intended to help women and women’s groups improve financial management and transparency.
The project is also introducing digital tools to help women expand their markets beyond their immediate communities, while training on pricing and business planning is designed to help them manage profits during periods of low sales.
The programme also aims to improve women’s access to credit by helping them maintain formal financial records.
Beyond economic empowerment, the initiative seeks to strengthen women’s confidence, collaboration and participation in household and community decision-making.
The Nyamlel Women’s Centre is part of the three-year ResPEct: Stop SGBV – Respond, Prevent, Educate! project, which has a total budget of €8.26 million.
The project is co-funded by the European Union and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by GIZ.
It focuses on preventing and responding to sexual and gender-based violence in South Sudan through counselling services, community awareness, engagement of men and boys, strengthening women’s networks and supporting women-led initiatives.
The project also works with local authorities and communities to promote gender equality and strengthen prevention of sexual and gender-based violence.
The inauguration of the Nyamlel Women’s Centre marks another investment in women’s empowerment in Aweil West, with the facility expected to serve as a hub for skills development, livelihoods, networking and community engagement.