IS Academy Research Film: 'Reaspora' SMEs in South Sudan

This short film showcases some of the IS Academy research conducted by PhD candidate Rens Twijnstra. 

The film introduces us to Kamil Kowa and Sabit Asholi, two returnee diaspora ('reaspora') businessmen in Juba, South Sudan. Increasingly, the private sector, and especially small and medium enterprises run by returnee diaspora, are seen as important drivers of stability and employment. Nevertheless, as this film shows some entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to access support mechanisms offerd by donors and international aid agencies. Mr Kowa and Mr Asholi give us their views, and Mr de Waard of the Dutch embassy explains his position.

The film provides a glimpse of the way the IS Academy has been set up, bringing together various departments within the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, academic institutions and five Dutch NGOs. Aimed at professionals and students who are involved in thinking about development interventions in fragile contexts, these films aim to stimulate debate about the way we conceive of fragility, and the way we set up interventions.

This film was made before the December 2013 crisis in South Sudan