From Conflict to Community Anchor: A Women-Led Rural Enterprise Restores Hope in Yei

In a town once marked by instability and displacement, the steady hum of a grinding mill has become a symbol of resilience, hope, and recovery. At its heart is Sarah Bonaire, a determined entrepreneur and mother of two, who chose to stay when many fled.

In the heart of Yei, Sarah Bonaire’s grinding mill is more than a business—it’s a symbol of resilience, security, and opportunity for her community. Image: Newaz Mohammed Rifaat/RSRTF

“I didn’t leave. I stayed through the worst of it,” Sarah says, standing proudly beside the grinding mill she now operates in a Gimunu Boma, a rural part of Yei Town Payam. It’s more than just a machine—it’s a lifeline for the community, an anchor that restores hope.

Before Sarah’s mill, local families had to walk up to three hours just to grind maize, cassava, or sorghum in town—an exhausting and often dangerous journey, especially for women and children.

“People used to walk two to three hours to town just to grind maize and sorghum. Now, they can come here,” she explains.

Mama Sarah counts earnings from a customer—proof that local livelihoods can thrive when women are empowered and supported through community-based initiatives. Image: Newaz Mohammed Rifaat/RSRTF

Sarah’s journey into entrepreneurship began when she joined a business training initiative supported by UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Reconciliation, Stabilization and Resilience (RSRTF) in South Sudan’s CES Area-Based Programme.

As part of the training, community members were encouraged to identify services most needed in their area. The answer was clear: a grinding mill.

“Most people didn’t have access to a grinding mill. That’s why we chose this business,” Sarah says.

The CES ABP consortium is led by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and consists of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), Support for Peace and Education Development Programme (SPEDP), Finn Church Aid (FCA) and Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI).

With WPDI's support, she launched the enterprise and now employs another staff member to help operate it.

Inside the mill: Sarah’s business not only brings essential services closer to the community but also creates employment opportunities for youth. Image: Newaz Mohammed Rifaat/RSRTF

In doing so, she has reduced risks for families, provided a source of income for herself and others, and built a much-needed service into the local economy.

The impact has been profound. “The security is better now because people don’t have to travel far,” she notes.

What was once a burden has become a convenience—and a step toward community stability.

Thanks to the business, Sarah is also better able to provide for her children, aged 10 and 3 years. She speaks with quiet determination about what she wants for them. “I want them to have their own opportunities,” she says.

Supporting Local Solutions for Lasting Peace

Sarah’s story reflects the broader goals of the RSRTF—to support grassroots solutions that rebuild livelihoods, reduce risks, and foster long-term stability in communities affected by conflict.

By investing in women entrepreneurs, small-scale businesses, and local services, RSRTF programming across the Central Equatoria State Area-Based Programme helps communities like Yei recover not just physically, but economically and socially.

Sarah’s story is just one example of how a women-led rural enterprise restores hope in Yei, where communities are slowly recovering from years of instability.

By offering essential services, creating jobs, and reducing risk for women and children, her business stands as a model for how local entrepreneurship can drive both resilience and reconciliation in post-conflict settings.

These peace dividends are vital in a region where conflict has stripped away infrastructure, trust, and opportunity.

With her community behind her, Sarah’s grinding mill has become a trusted, daily stop for residents—bringing both food security and stability to the area. Image: Newaz Mohammed Rifaat/RSRTF

From staying through the conflict to lifting others through her work, Sarah’s grinding mill is more than a business—it’s a testament to what resilience, when supported, can achieve.

The UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Reconciliation, Stabilization and Resilience in South Sudan (RSRTF) is a multi-partner initiative supporting community-driven peacebuilding and recovery in South Sudan’s most fragile regions. Launched in 2018, RSRTF brings together the political reach of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) with the operational strengths of UN agencies and NGOs. It is generously supported by contributing partners including Canada, European Union, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and South Korea—whose support enables locally led solutions to conflict, displacement, and instability.