From Survival to Self-Reliance

In the conflict-scarred villages of Leer County, South Sudan, where families live with the daily burden of hunger and uncertainty, a single sewing machine helped open a new path for Nyalong Riak and her four children.

Like many women in her community, the 28-year-old mother had few safe or sustainable ways to earn a living. Without access to land or opportunities for formal training, she was forced to gather firewood in remote areas to sell at local markets, a backbreaking task that exposed her to harassment, health risks and long walks home carrying heavy bundles.

“Every day was a struggle for survival,” she says.

Everything changed for Nyalong when she joined a community-based vocational training program led by Hope Restoration South Sudan, a partner of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that focuses on empowering women. Through this program she gained practical skills like tailoring, bead-making, and climate-smart farming. Along with training and starter materials, Nyalong received a sewing machine which became a turning point in her journey.

With it, she began transforming fabric into dresses, income and opportunity.

Nyalong now sells handmade clothing at a local market and surplus produce from her garden. The income she now earns allows her to purchase food, school supplies for her children — and even to start saving for the future.

Stitching Together a Brighter Future

But the impact this one sewing machine and training has had goes far beyond economics. Now, with a steady income, Nyalong no longer faces the dangers collecting firewood in remote areas poses, and she’s gained freedom and independence in innumerable ways. She’s also paying it forward by being a mentor and training other women in tailoring, encouraging them to believe in their own potential.

“I want every woman to know she has value and options,” she says.

Inspired by her journey, 15 women in her village have already followed her lead. And now, Nyalong dreams of expanding her work by opening a small tailoring workshop to train and employ many others in her community.

When you give sewing machines through the Giving Catalog, you’re supporting the mission and ministry of the Church, helping create lasting change for women like Nyalong, who are building their own futures with resilience and dignity.