Patricia Saima, 20, is a mother of one and a senior three students at Tim Galvin Secondary School, living in Lorengpuu Boma, Kapoeta North County. She was a brilliant student in the county. Despite progressing well with her education, Saima's academic journey came to an abrupt end when she became pregnant. This brought immense hardship upon her, aggravated by her parents' fury over the pregnancy. Life became difficult for her to pursue her studies because she could not manage her responsibilities alone; even obtaining basic necessities from her parents became a struggle.
Life was hard for me after I became pregnantsays Saima. My parents failed to support me financially due to the pregnancy, and it was difficult for me to do any business to support myself.
Sign of hope
Although things were tough, Saima didn't give up on her dream of a better future. Hope arrived when AVSI, supported by Education Cannot Wait through the Multi-Year Resilient Program (MYRP), visited her community. Their aim was to provide tailoring skills to young mothers. The 6-month tailoring course (April-September 2025) is a key part of MYRP in South Sudan, empowering young mothers to earn income, enabling them to either continue their studies or start a business to support their families. Every week, instructors teach valuable, income-generating skills. After the six months, Saima, 20, believes these skills will enable her to earn money and live independently, as she has been trained in self-reliance, including strategies to save her earnings from tailoring.
I have also learned how to use a sewing machine and am able to make nice clothes for both adults and children, the 20-year-old explains.I am now able to attach the spools to the bobbin and feed the thread to the needle.
This intensive skill-building has been crucial, as Saima now works as a tailor in her own small business. She shares, I now know how to design and make clothes, how to repair and alter clothing, and also how to maintain and repair my equipment.
Brighter future.
This holistic approach is especially important for young mothers like Saima. It enables them to work hard to support their families and generate income to make a living. .
I see a bright future because I have started my own business that enables me to earn income to help my family.
As Saima confidence grows, so does her ability to train others, invest in their communities, and break the cycle of poverty for good.
I will help and encourage all the other young mothers to join the free tailoring training to help themselves and their families,she says. The 20-year-old further requests AVSI to procure some materials for them, stating,
to help us start our own businesses.Through this initiative, AVSI has enrolled 36 young mothers in the tailoring course (13 of whom are in primary school and 23 in secondary school) to enable them make a living, continue to access quality education, and thrive within their communities. .
Inclusive Education .
Apart from the tailoring course, AVSI provides safe and inclusive education to crisis-affected learners in Kapoeta North through the Multi-Year Resilience Programme. This includes distributing scholastic materials, teacher training, and providing psychosocial support, especially for vulnerable children and families.
