Empower 103 Households for their Livelihoods

                                                                                                               September 26, 2021

Eighth ID: 32851

Project Title:  Empower 103 households for their livelihoods

Absolute poverty;  the community of Yambio County of Western Equatoria State, South Sudan continues to depend heavily on agriculture, yet they practice shifting cultivation using rudimentary tools for subsistent purposes. There is no commercial agricultural practice on this very fertile land. Millions of South Sudanese suffer famine and malnutrition for lack of support and empowerment. The civil wars since 2013 created orphans and widows who make up for 30% of the population especially in Yambio. Most of the homes are child-headed or female-headed; therefore, there is acute hunger and children are malnourished. 

CSD has a food security programme to help the vulnerable women and orphans in Yambio to do farming and CSD uses her extension workers to educate the vulnerable groups on livelihoods and sustainable agriculture practices. Very sadly, Yambio community cannot mitigate the effects of the drastic climate change and it depends entirely on an insufficient seasonal rainfall and cannot grow crops for most part of the year. This is where the empowerment component is direly required; to provide irrigation equipment and provide agricultural seeds, tools and then extension services to these vulnerable to cultivate for their livelihoods.

The skills deficits and high rate of illiteracy could be attributed to decades of conflicts, which deprived the population opportunities to acquire vital entrepreneurial and livelihood skills needed to participate in the economy of South Sudan.

South Sudan faces one of the world's worst food security situations and endemic poverty with at least 80 percent of the population defined as income-poor and living on equivalent of less than US$1 per day (FAO 2018). South Sudan is the World’s first illiterate Country with the literacy rate at 27.0% (https://www.infoplease.com/world/country-statistics/lowest-literacy-rates).

Again, young females in South Sudan remain severely marginalized with lower education levels and fewer opportunities for work as compared to their male peers. Rural women and girls of reproductive age (13-49 years) have few or no assets at all and survive on less than $1 per day. This project is for the support of women empowerment.

Community Skills Development continues to provide extension service to the women Farmers, in the support for them to grow groundnuts, Maize, vegetables, keep poultry and small ruminants. The provision of extension service is a catalyst and motivation for the women to work harder. The women work as a team and teamwork helps the women to cultivate large fields than when as individuals. The single mothers supported by Community Skills Development have their lives changed to better- before the members used to have single meals a day and now they say they can eat two meals in a day. It is hoped that the women Farmers would continue to use the cultivation and planting skills taught to them to generate more food for their families.

Life history of a single mother

Community Skills Development majorly supports impoverished women in Yambio within Western Equatoria State. Women are at the fore front of our focused programming; to empower for economic activities, offer them chances to equal opportunities and representation. The total number of our target population is 17,000 Households in Western Equatoria state for various traits of business for resilience but this project only targets 103 households. Community Skills Development by means of this project provided women farmers with agricultural tools, seeds and extension services. CSD other projects provide scholarship to orphans, unaccompanied children and train women in tailoring skills, Beauty salons.

The single mother Esther speaks out in the two Clips saying

Esther 1; in the very beginning we were too blind and vulnerable. CSD came looking for us and Emma came and grouped us into a team. We formed a group for gardening of which we have gained much benefit. From the profit of growing the vegetables, we can purchase things that are missing in our homes. I used to make local pancakes – very unprofitable, now I can afford to purchase oil and wheat flour to make better cakes for sale that are profitable.

Esther 2: I have the Mini grinding Mill for Groundnuts that I have managed to buy with money from this program.  that is why we are very much grateful for the support CSD continues to offer to us! We are aware of your great concern for us and I am very sure that your support for us will even continue more. We have received great support through your great coordination and the work you render. Thank you very much

The cost of empowering women farmers each planting season totals to US$ 7,000 and there are two main seasons in a year in this region. If we receive more than that budget, we could then provide small ruminants to the women and purchase seeds.

We remain grateful and thanking you very much.

Ignatius Mborihenga

Director

Community Skills Development

Yambio, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan