ABOUT US

ABOUT US

WHO WE ARE

WE ARE SKILLS FOR NUBA MOUNTAINS

Skills for Nuba Mountains (SNM) is a registered independent and non-profit organization established in 2014 by the development professionals from the Nuba Mountains, Sudan in response to the weak skills and low capacities among the communities in the region. SNM is legally registered by the Ministry of Justice, Republic of South Sudan under the registration number 2167 as well as with Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) under the registration number 544.

SNM was born out of a recommendation arising from a capacity-building workshop held in Heiban County in April 2014 in the SPLM-N controlled areas of the Nuba Mountains Region, which brought together 164 participants drawn from civil society and SPLM-N government as well as traditional leaders and women and youth representatives. The idea was to establish an organization to build and strengthen the capacities of local communities given that the region has weak human capacity, which had arisen from continuous marginalization of the region during the colonial period but more so by successive regimes of Sudan since independence.

Meet our Beneficiaries

Rasha, Student

During my primary schooling, I used to collect tamarind and baobab fruits and baked bread for sale in order to pay my school fees. I finally dropped out in class six when school raised the fees but gained momentum and rejoined class seven in 2013. I joined class eight in 2014 and my mother struggled to pay for my examination fees, which enabled me to sit for the final examination (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education).

Amani Adam Omar, Student

“The saddest time of my life, was when I had to leave school for two months just before my final primary examinations, as I was unable to raise the registration fees.” – Eighteen-year-old Amani Adam Omar, a female student at Kurumba Boarding Mixed Secondary School.

Roza, Student

When I came home, I found that St. Joseph in Gidel and Kurumba Secondary schools were open and so I opted to join Kurumba School. My uncle encouraged me to go back to school while my father protested saying that I had to get married and that it was better for boys to study than girls. In my family, my father always encouraged my brothers to study but told us girls that we should look for suitors and get married. I felt my father only kept us for marriage purposes. This discrimination made me hate myself for being a girl.

VISION

A society realizing and utilizing their full potential for the common good

MISSION

To strengthen the capacities and develop the skills of communities in the Nuba Mountains in order to bring social change and promote economic development

OUR APPROACH

Skills for Nuba Mountains (SNM) is an indigenous development organization striving to promote social and economic development as well as enhance just governance and peace building in the Nuba Mountains and other states in South Sudan. As an indigenous organization led by committed local experts, Skills for Nuba Mountains brings to the table local solutions to local problems based on lessons learned from interacting and supporting community-led recovery and development. This experience and local expertise is critical in tackling the multi-faceted and complex nature of conflict and the poverty arising from the conflict in Nuba Mountains as well as the spill over effects of the conflict in South Sudan.

Skills for Nuba Mountains utilizes a people-centred approach to address the inter-connected problems of displacement, refugee influx and outflow, declining food production, malnutrition, ill-health and environmental degradation as well as poor access to social services (education, health, etc.) and poor infrastructure in underserved conflict areas. SNM is committed to reversing the ‘downward spiral’ of poverty and conflict into an ‘upward spiral’ of holistic and inclusive development.

OUR PARTNERS

Foundations and Corporate Partnerships

SNM is keen to cultivate and establish meaningful and long-term partnerships with foundations and corporations that share our commitment and mission to building the capacities of marginalized communities in the Nuba Mountains and South Sudan. We hope to work with community members and funding partners to design programs that respond to the needs of the communities and that can demonstrate tangible and measurable outcomes, thus ensuring that progress is achieved, measured and replicated for lasting impact.

Individuals and Mosques/Churches

SNM would like to collaborate with mosques and churches to support marginalized communities in the Nuba Mountains and South Sudan. Faithful and believers can share the love of Allah and God by supporting local communities either financially or in in-kind donations. You can connect with local communities by sponsoring children, donating school kits, school uniforms, books, tools (sewing machines, carpentry tools, etc.) or in other meaningful ways.