South Sudanese carpenter on hard slog to create jobs

Many South Sudanese – literate and illiterate alike – are rarely idle in utilising every local effort to create more jobs for the unemployed as collective moves to reconstruct the ravaged nation keep on.

Thousands of South Sudanese fled their home to neighbouring countries for refuge during the liberation war fought between the Southerners against the government in Khartoum, and many did not spend their exile in vain, but gained skills to rebuild the ravaged nation.

After years in exile many have established their own local business recruiting local workforce since South Sudan independence was declared in 2011.

Speaking to The Niles, a 28-year-old South Sudanese carpenter, Nyama Elijah, who learnt carpentry while as refugee in neighbouring Uganda, has established his own carpentry centre since his return in 2007, employing twelve (12) citizens.

Nyama believes dependency on few available jobs produced by the government and nongovernmental organisations will not expedite the development of the nation. “I learnt from someone, like a potter and I got the knowledge from him for my future. When I knew it, I started it in bits till I established my own place and it is now helping me and my brothers, we are now working together,” says Nyama, a father of three children.

Nyama is now six years in carpentry work and his place, commonly known as Toru Lolu (meaning ‘better yours’) is one of the renowned carpentry centres in Yei town among others; it has produced surplus of tables, beds and chairs of all sizes. The name Toru Lolu encourages citizens to work towards job creation and discourages relying on the few inadequate opportunities, he explains.

“Setting up your business is more important than waiting for a readymade job. There are no jobs and I thought it’s wise that I should have my own work place so that I can support my family,” he says. Nyama attained a short course in carpentry and joinery in 2007 in Kiradongo Vocational Training College in Masindi district of Uganda. “Because of difficulties, I left school so early and went for this course”.

Many organisations, individuals and some government departments could place an order for production of shelves, beds, tables and chairs at the centre, he added. As of now, a well designed double bed sells at SSP 2,000 while a set of table sells at SSP 700 in his place.

“Many people come seeking for work,” he says, but he fears increasing the number of his workers due to the impact of the worsening economic situation perpetuated by the ongoing war fought between forces of president Salva Kiir and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement In Opposition (SPLM-IO) leader Riek Machar.

The fighting has already contributed to spiralling prices of commodities with carpentry places not an exception, prompting increment in the prices of products in such premises. This economic deterioration, Nyama says, needs the willingness of the warring parties to better cease fighting so that his business stabilises and accumulate some profit for recruiting more idle South Sudanese who are regularly seeking for jobs.

“Many people always come and ask me for jobs, but I say no because it’s hard now to manage when things are very expensive. I will try to allow some when our materials are cheap. The desire for work is high, but where are the jobs,” he asks.

A South Sudanese school drop out, like 21-year-old Matthew Aligo, has no alternative to generate some income, but to search for whatever kind of job he can get to survive, especially after losing his parents.

“Nowadays, if you are left without father or mother and you are not strong, you will go to bad ways,” says Aligo, one of the workers who started working at the centre in 2010. He’s working hard to help his two other followers – a brother and sister.

Aligo joined the carpentry centre as a young learner to get skills - now he can make beds, tables or chairs though support is lacking. However, as a young boy, he’s facing difficulties on helping his two siblings, calling on the government and partners to support the orphans and street children across the country.

“But with the work of carpentry that I do here, now I can support myself. Let the government open more vocational schools and look on the suffering of orphans”, he says, adding that keeping himself busy in his work helped him earn money and avoid crimes.

Reuben Ladu, a 65-year-old father of five children is a veteran carpenter also employed at the same center, reaping support to his family too. “I have no any other work and I came here then I was included to work. The issue to do with searching for work isn’t an easy thing. But, hand (manual) work is now better. You can get work and even money any time,” he says.

But untold challenges are hitting hard such supportive centres to continue improving the delivery of its services and employ more workers. Like for the case of Nyama, materials to sustain the current workforce or add more workers are becoming increasingly very scarce, expensive and also difficult to get.

Several nongovernmental organisations had for several times carried out their assessments in the centre, but failed to fulfil their said pledge of supporting them, Nyama argues. His centre’s growth entirely depends on his capital, which is the profit obtained from customers after the selling of the products.

“We depend on what we get from our customer so that one earns his living. Some NGOs came here and assessed those who work for themselves, so that they will be given support, but up to now there is nothing”, he adds.

According to him, fellow South Sudanese should be job creators, not seekers. He recommends the establishment of more vocational schools so that illiterate and vulnerable groups can get capacity building to acquire knowledge and practical skills for the joint national reconstruction.

Scarcity of jobs has prompted shifting of blames among some citizens. Some talk of tribal employment even in advertised or not advertised positions rather than basing on academic or job credentials of the applicant.

A 22-year-old South Sudanese job seeker, Lubari James, says he had not been notified on the status of his applications since he submitted these to different organisations that advertised. “Getting a job is now not an easy thing. I have spent much money on papers. They normally advertise. They may talk of experience, but if you are a person who has just come from school, experience requires work first,” he says.

Lubari, who completed his advanced education level in the year 2013 in Uganda, worries about the high demand of academic and work qualifications in organisations.

Paul Ohisa Thomas, the Assistant Inspector of the Labour Department in Yei River County of Central Equatoria State, says some institutions have collapsed due to the culture of tribal or nepotism employment. Many South Sudanese demand official jobs instead of doing any kind of job to get experience, Ohisa says, adding that citizens should culminate the spirit of job creation and stop dependencies.

“A person can open a company or an organisation. But when you come to register, that company is no longer for tribe. So many institutions or organisations die because they bring only tribes,” Ohisa tells The Niles in an interview. “When we are creative we cannot be job seekers. But when we let creativity to others, that is when we become job seekers”.

Ohisa partly blames joblessness to the ongoing war that has contributed to some nongovernmental organisations ceasing operations due to cut off of donors support. “It’s true the current situation has made some institution to leave our employees completely meandering in the town,” he says.

He says they have registered over 100 cases of unprocedural terminations of employees since the beginning of the year and hinted that most of the cases were referred to the court due to employers and employees lack of knowledge on labour laws, failing to reach agreement on solving of misunderstandings.

No latest data is available to confirm what number of South Sudanese is so far either employed or unemployed, local county officials say. Efforts to confirm with the national ministry on the latest national employment and unemployment rate or estimates failed.

According to a report Sudan Tribune published in July last year, more than 50 percent of youth that makes up an estimated 70 percent of the country’s population, have reportedly not acquired basic skills and education.

The Director General of Planning and Budgeting in the Central Equatoria State Ministry of Labour and Public Service, Augustino Lo Wani Duku, estimates that the state has an employment rate in a range of 30 to 40 percent in education, health and water.

“There is a lot of engagement in this absorption of former employees from the diaspora and from the Northern Sudan, recruitment of teachers and health personnel. I can say about 30 to 40 percent of the employment is continuing in Central Equatoria State,” Lo Wani says.

“Most of the ministries are also recruiting wherever they have their budgets. Currently they are engaging these graduates and very few secondary schools levers.”

South Sudan’s government had earlier warned of expelling foreign nationals from the key positions to allow its nationals acquire employment, but the move was criticised by the local and international community. Some nongovernmental organisations admitted employing foreign nationals in some of their positions due to adequate experience in return for better services.

However, people like Nyama believe local creation of jobs can ward off dependency from recruitment of foreign labour afterwards, because experts will pick interest to train locals in the areas of need.