Returning with a Profession in Hand is a Shield Against Poverty| Sudanow Magazine

Khartoum (Sudanow) — Between three and four million Sudanese have been displaced to Egypt due to the war, around 70% of them young people.

Return movements to Sudan are expected to increase significantly in the coming weeks and months, as various organizations are currently arranging return trips.

One of the most pressing challenges awaiting returning families will be the high cost of living, alongside job losses for those who previously worked in both the public and private sectors.

It is therefore proposed that return efforts be accompanied by a parallel plan focused on vocational retraining for the age group between 18 and 50 years. Vocational retraining here refers to reshaping the skills and professions of young men and women in this group into occupations that are currently in demand in the Sudanese labor market.

The Nile Valley Experts Center has designed a vocational transformation training project that operates along two main axes:

1. Upgrading the skills of existing professionals within their current fields while equipping them with additional competencies aligned with market needs.

2. Training individuals who wish to shift from academic or theoretical specializations (humanities and social sciences) into practical, applied vocational skills.

Examples of urgently needed professions and skills in Sudan at present include plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, painting and minor maintenance, mechanics and car repair, air-conditioning and refrigeration, as well as nursing and basic home healthcare.

Egypt offers substantial training opportunities in these fields through accredited centers affiliated with the Ministry of Labor, which issue recognized certificates. In addition, vocational tools and equipment are widely available at relatively affordable prices.

I envision a future where most passengers returning to Sudan are young men and women carrying toolkits for electricity, carpentry, plumbing, or first aid—wearing work overalls and safety boots. That, in my view, is true security for them and for their families.

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