Martin John Magok (right), CEO of Super Union Enterprise smiles after receiving a cheque worth 3.8 million pounds. (Photo: Madrama James/Eye Radio.)

Paralyzed at the age of eight, 35-year-old Martin John Magok has never let disability drag him down, and through hard work and determination, he is currently the Chief Executive Officer of an enterprise that creates jobs for many youths.

Magok, the co-founder of the Super Union Group, leads a team of 15 members who procure Lulu seed from local farmers in Terekeka.

Super Union processes and repackages the oil before exporting it to Juba.

“As a CEO and person with a disability, the experience and knowledge I have, I was selected as the CEO of the group,” the entrepreneur said in an interview with Eye Radio.

“Let the Nongovernmental Organization collaborate with the government to empower disabled people because they are the poorest people.”

Despite facing physical challenges, Magok, a father of five, established the Super Union Computer Centre in January 2018 to design banners, ID cards, and other graphic materials.

The resident of Tali Payam in Terekeka County appeals to the government and aid agencies to empower and support people with disabilities.

He believes that with assistance, people with special needs can overcome life challenges and enable them to achieve their potential.

“They [people with disabilities] are the most neglected people in the family or in the society you will find that somebody with good ideas of doing something good but unfortunately people will neglect him or her.”

“I call upon the government of South Sudan and other partners to look at these people in order to help them in their lives,” he stressed.    

Magok completed his studies at the Juba-based branch of Kampala University in 2018. He was supposed to graduate with a degree in Information Community Technology.

However, luck was not on his side as he is among the 300 South Sudanese students rejected by the main campus in 2022.

After the stalled graduation, Magok utilized his initial capital of 500,000 South Sudanese pounds to start Lulu oil processing and local food commodities supplies.

He and three other colleagues came together to establish Super Union – a local enterprise aimed at promoting and selling local food commodities in Terekeka County.

Fortunately, he is among the six winners of this year’s UNDP’s Youth Enterprise Development Capacity Building and the UN Women’s Private Sector Development in Fragile Context project.

According to him, the 3,800,000 (three million, eight hundred thousand pounds) interest-free loan his group received on August 1, will enable him to expand and create more job opportunities for young people in his community.

 “In our group, we received 3.8 million pounds. It is a great chance for us to implement some of our activities that we cannot be able to do.”

“We are going to add value to our business and we will create more activities and even employ some of our youth who are reluctant at home. We are going to call them,” he said.

Super Union Group currently has 15 shareholders and employees including women, men, and young people.

Magok and his staff also deal in the purchase of groundnuts and a variety of smoked fish from local fishermen. On top of that, they can manually produce up to 50 liters of Lulu oil in a day.

The enterprise currently generates between 25,000 to 30,000 pounds per day and has earned a profit of up to 17 million pounds in the last six months.

Magok is currently a figure of inspiration rather than disability in his community. After receiving the grant in Juba last week, he says he is excited about exploring his new business plans.

Meanwhile, June Ojukwu, a young South Sudanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Pure Organic South Sudan Honey is another innovator, working to transform her community.

She imports raw materials from neighboring Uganda and orders crude honey from Eastern and Western Equatoria States.

“First, I started to bring the packaging from Uganda, so it is less cost, and effective and I will buy the containers from Uganda.”

“I will call those people that I know in Eastern and Western Equatoria to send for me this honey, they will send it, and I pay.” She narrated.

Ojukwu, a Public Health Specialist, said she is passionate about community activities and said she wants to see fellow women and girls become self-reliant.

The co-founder of Pure Organic South Sudan Honey started her agribusiness with an initial capital of 500 US dollars in 2019 to promote the use of organic honey in Juba.

According to the businesswoman, her initiative has created job opportunities for over 10 women and university students in the last four years – helping them address their financial needs.

“We have 10 people in the organization and some of them completed universities but most of them are female students who are from the University of Juba and at least two who are in secondary schools.”

“She will not need to think like that I don’t have these maybe I need to get married off so that my husband will give me money.”

“No, your husband will give you money yes but what will you give to yourselves, so this is how I want to build those ladies to become self-independence,” she said.

However, Ojukwu says poor road infrastructure in the country has forced her to import crude honey from WES and EES to Juba by costly airplane.

“You know South Sudan is having problems with the road infrastructure you remember bringing this honey from Eastern and Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal bring it by flight it’s really costing more than you can image so buying it in few quantities is also getting you to more loses than what you expect.”

Pure Organic South Sudan Honey was the second leading micro and small

enterprises to receive five million pounds (SSP5 million) during the Youth Enterprise Development Capacity Building event in Juba on Tuesday last week.

The innovation ceremony highlighted the contribution of the private sector in improving the lives of youth and women entrepreneurs in South Sudan.

This includes access to the financing facility and interest-free loans to youth and women-led micro and small enterprises, Village Saving Loans Association, and Cooperatives.

Ojukwu says the new funding she received last week will create more jobs for young people and increase the exportation of South Sudan products in the region.

“The Pure Organic South Sudan Company secured 5 million pounds and this five million will help us to increase our exports of this honey and will also give more opportunities for other youth who need jobs because the more the company grows, the more you need other employees so it will give other youth the opportunity and benefit from it,” Ojukwu told Eye Radio.

The two young entrepreneurs said they have decided to champion youth empowerment instead of waiting for outside help to solve the problem facing young people.

According to Magok and Ojukwu, their efforts not only improve the well-being of their communities but also showcase the importance of youth in creating their own employment.

UN development program – UNDP says the loan received by various youth-lead enterprises, will enable growth and add value to an existing business, or link them to the wider markets.

During the launch of the Financing Facility for Micro Small Enterprises in Juba, the UNDP, African Development Bank, and other private sectors awarded between $2,000 USD to $10,000 USD to different enterprises in Central Equatoria.

The six women and youth groups that met the loan requirements are organized in Village Savings and Loans Associations or establish micro and small enterprises or business cooperatives.

“The youth enterprise project will reach 900 youth-led enterprises, Village Saving Associations, and agriculture cooperatives in five states, Central, Eastern, Jonglei, Lakes, and Upper-Nile states, and will support them to grow in their business,” Samuel Doe, Resident Representative of UNDP in South Sudan said.

“They will benefit from business development services, coaching, mentoring support and link them to markets at the national and regional levels,” Doe added.

For her part, the Country Program Officer of the African Development Bank reiterates her commitment to supporting the women and youth of South Sudan.

Haji Fauzia says they will continue to strengthen private sectors and improve entrepreneurship in the country.

“I would like to assure the African Development Bank’s commitment to enhance employability and job creation for youth in South Sudan through strengthening the private sectors, building entrepreneurship skills, and improving the enabling environment.”

“However, it should be noted, no matter how good these efforts are the banks cannot do these alone. It will take all the systemic stakeholders to deliver South Sudan’s much-needed jobs for youth and the young people,” She stressed.

The South Sudan State of Adolescent and youth report launched in 2019 states that 19% of young people do not have formal employment due to lack vibrant private sector in the country.

Speaking exclusively to Eye Radio, Information Minister and official government Spokesperson Michael Makuei urged the youth to be more product and create jobs for themselves.

“My message to the youth is that you think and create an employment for yourself and be productive in your own limited facility and you will be more comfortable than been government employees”

“Because if you are a government employee, the little that you get, will not help you but if you are self-employed, you will produce more than what you get when you are government employee.”