Turkey donates fishing kits to South Sudan

By Benjamin Takpiny

JUBA, South Sudan (AA) - Turkey’s state-run development agency donated fishing kits to the fishing community in South Sudan on Friday.

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) donated about 250 fishing kits to over 150 fishermen in the South Sudanese capital Juba to help them lift up their standard of living amid the pandemic.

The donation included 1,750 rolls of fishing twines, 700 boxes of fishing hooks and 350 rolls of fishing monofilament.

“Turkish people are here, Turkish Embassy is here, TIKA is here to help you to live in better life by supporting you in this development project,” Turkey’s Ambassador Tugrul Biltekin said at the donation drive.

“We will be here for you in the future as well, you can trust us, you can trust Turkish-South Sudan friendship, we love you and we will be always here for you,” Biltekin said.

The ambassador urged the fishermen to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19 and also offered them a big carton of face masks.

Turgut Gazigil, the deputy coordinator of TIKA’s office in South Sudan’s capital Juba, was also present on the occasion.

Jackson Muso, the director general of the Livestock and Fisheries Ministry, was present at the ceremony and said that the government of South Sudan is very grateful to Turkey for supporting vulnerable people in the country.

“The donation of these fishing kits is in line with the ministry's plans of 2030 to transform the fishing sector in the country,” Muso said.

“We are happy with the donation. The Turkish people and government are not working alone but we are working hand in hand to help people of South Sudan.”

One of the beneficiaries, 35-year-old Emanuel Okot, said the kits will empower them financially.

Juan Laku, a mother of five, thanked the Turkish government for the support.

She said that the fishing kits will help her a lot since she is a single-mother.