Story by James innocent
To push out tough moments from life, a woman, mother of five, turns to motorcycle repairing to withstand prevailing economic hardship in the country.
Hustling in Yei River County town, Central Equatoria state, Dawa Esther Johnson, a mother of five children, embarks on tough fight against hardship.
Despite the economic crises, Dawa tends her children without a husband as the man who, she believed to be her life partner, left for Juba, years back, abandoning her with the entire responsibility of taking care of the children.
“I’m a mother of five children. The most stressing matter is my husband leaving me to suffer alone with the five children. Unfortunately, I lost one” Dawa lamented.
According the single mother, she decided to take avocational course on realising that the burden of taking care of her children was mounting.
“I decided to go for vocational training at Yei vocational institute and graduated in motorcycle engineering and now am a mechanic, working in Sobe streets” she said.
Dawa draws her determination from an adage that ” What a man can do a woman can do”, saying am currently supporting my children in education and buying them other needs without the help of the husband”.
Taught by experience, Dawa advises women to take her life as learning aid for self-reliance.
“I advising all woman to take the example from me than relaying from their husbands,” she said.
She further calls on development partners and well-wishers to support her with tools to operate her own motorcycle Garage to fight the current economic hardship where things are very expensive in the market.
Dawa bold move has bot only impressed many, it also inspires young people for be focussed in life.
Isaac Tony, motorcycle riders in Sobe street, is one among many, admiring Dawa’s determination
” I have never seen a brilliant woman, who is a mechanic since I was born and it will be of more importance if all women join other men who are hustling in the streets, so that they fight against hunger and the current economic situation in South Sudan,” Tony said.
However, Yei River County Youth Association Chairperson, Gaga Frank urges partners and government to provide scholarship to young people and sending others to vocational training, to curb gang activities in the county.
Meanwhile, Yei River County commissioner, Emmanuel Taban Seme encourages the youth to be creative and innovative, in order to avoid poverty. He urges young people to focus on education, despite challenges.