In a bid to empower vulnerable women and girls, UNFPA South Sudan has distributed solar lamps to displaced women and girls at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Juba, thanks to the generous, in-kind donation from Panasonic, a leading Japanese electronics company, making its first ever donation to South Sudan.

The initiative targeting vulnerable women and girls in displaced communities, aims to address critical needs for safety, education, and economic empowerment, enable the school going girls to study and complete assignments as part of education in emergencies programs as well as allowing women to safely market and produce goods through income-generating activities.

By bringing  light into the hands of women and girls, we are dismantling barriers to equality and opportunity, every lantern is a step closer to a world where no woman has to fear the dark” said Dr. Hussein Hassan,  UNFPA emergency coordinator

The lanterns will also enhance protection for women and girls against gender-based violence (GBV).

These solar lanterns will help us go about our house chores as I don’t have to pay for charging, I am happy to UNFPA for having being thoughtful about us”, said 31-year old Nyajuok kur, a beneficiary of the lantern.

Kur further said the lanterns will help her two primary-five and four school girls to study at night something they had not been able to do due to lack of electricity.

Before, my children normally read at daytime that’s how they study but for now, I am going to tell them to read at night as well, because the solar light is there” said excited Kur 

Nyajuok, who is physically challenged, has lived in the Juba IDP camp for eleven years following the 2013 conflict.

The Juba IDP camp chairperson, Elijah Hon, expressed gratitude to UNFPA for the kind gesture, saying the lanterns will go a long way to improving the lives of women and girls in the camp, he further said that the through funding to International Medical Corps, the Reproductive Health Clinic in the camp is averting maternal deaths as it is the only facility the IDPs rely on.

Juba IDP camp received 70 solar lanterns, courtesy of Panasonic and the government of Japan.

A total of 510 solar lanterns are being distributed in Juba and extended to other locations, including Bentiu, Renk, Baidit, Maban and Malakal.