Lakes State, Dutch Embassy launch women’s milk processing facility in Rumbek

SOUTH SUDAN – The Lakes State Government, in collaboration with the AVASI Foundation, backed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, inaugurated a women’s milk processing facility in Rumbek on Wednesday.

The event which took place in the Rumbek municipality, was attended by senior government officials, representatives from women’s groups, AVASI Foundation members, and Dutch embassy staff.

Rumbek Mayor Akol Paul Manyang expressed gratitude to the Dutch embassy in Juba for their significant contribution to the Akon Buoi Milk Cooperative Society and other development initiatives across Rumbek Central, Wulu, and Cueibet counties.

“We are happy for the support you have given to our local communities,” Manyang stated. He further noted that the milk facility is situated on land provided by the Lakes State Government to support local women in their business endeavors.

Vuren Arend Van, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, emphasized the collaborative effort in establishing the facility.

He stated, “We are working together as a community to overcome our challenges,” highlighting the symbolic importance of the facility in addressing developmental hurdles faced by communities in Cueibet and Wulu counties.

Van further noted that the facility would serve as a critical point of sale for quality milk and testing, reducing the burden on women who previously had to travel long distances under harsh conditions to sell their products.

“We provided quality equipment, quality assurance, and we are also enhancing the capacity of development in this society,” he added.

Andrea Bianchessi, the AVASI Foundation’s regional manager based in Nairobi, acknowledged the pivotal role of local women in the cooperative.

“I would like to thank our mothers, who are here. It is also important that this cooperative is a sign of our empowerment to take the decision to pursue,” Bianchessi remarked.

According to Bianchessi, the foundation supports between 1,000 and 8,000 small-scale farmers in Cueibet and Wulu, with Rumbek being a central component of their initiatives.

State Agriculture Minister Poth Majak Daljang commended the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for their ongoing support, which has been implemented through AVASI.

He noted that the facility would significantly contribute to the local economy and support small-scale farmers in the region.

Rumbek milk vendor Hellena Apen Mabil expressed her appreciation for the new facility, stating that it would greatly improve their milk-selling operations.

However, she pointed out that transportation remains a challenge. “The only thing lacking now is the transport for the milk to the market,” Mabil noted.