IOM Sudan, in partnership with the State Ministry of Social Affairs (SMoSA), supported ten women to return to productive life within their communities through in kind business start-up support of around USD 665 per woman. These women’s vulnerability is caused by their recent release from prison at the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8th, 2016.

Through funding from the Government of Japan, the first of these women was supported in March 2016 to establish an ice-cream making business and is now active in the local market, where local authorities have rented a venue for her. On 9th May 2016 the nine remaining women received in-kind business start-up support with funding from the Government of Canada. The individual support needed to reintegrate into society was identified after these women, seven of which are heads of households with an average household size of nine members, were interviewed in early April 2016. The women reported having prior experience with sale of items and goods in the market and proactively identified items for sale, such as biscuits, tea or soap, and grains. The State Ministry of Social Affairs (SMoSA) is currently in the process of securing market stalls for all women supported.

“Life in the camps is very harsh and we don’t have much hope. We struggled to find legal ways to make money to feed our families. I am so grateful for IOM’s support to start a new life for ourselves.” Aisha Abdelrahman, one of ten women who have been supported by IOM, is a 37 year old widow and the only breadwinner taking care of her children and elderly father. Aisha received a small table stall and a start-up kit containing sugar, tea, biscuits, dates, ground nut oil, tooth brushes and paste, soap, powder soap and powder milk.

Support to these activities is part of a multi-component and multi-sectoral programme which includes a component of enhancing livelihood opportunities for vulnerable populations. Funding from the Government of Japan is from the project Improving the Human Security of IDPs and Mobile Populations in Conflict and Natural Disaster Affected Areas in Sudan which ended on 15 March 2016; and funding from the Government of Canada was part of the project: Establish Livelihoods and Rapid Response to Emergency Needs for Crisis-affected Populations in South Kordofan, West Kordofan and Blue Nile which ended on 30 April 2016.

For more information, please contact: Letizia Dell’Asin, Programme Coordinator, Transition and Reintegration Unit. Email: ldellasin@iom.int, Tel: 0922406689