Empower 103 Households for their Livelihoods

                                                                                                                              January 28, 2028

Tenth ID: 32851

Project Title:  Empower 103 households for their livelihoods

Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan has been engulfed in civil war for much of its existence. More than 400,000 South Sudanese died as a result of the conflict that started in December 2013 over power struggle among leaders. Atrocities and widespread attacks on civilians, including rampant sexual violence, were predominantly in conflict. In this context, young people have been forcefully recruited by armed groups, killed extra judicially, used as informers, forcefully displaced from their homes and schools and denied learning opportunities, forced into prostitution, and trafficked within the armed groups and urban gangs.

Over 72 % of South Sudan population is under the age of 30. Despite making up such a significant portion of the population, the women and youth in South Sudan are among the most vulnerable, underserved, and untapped segments of the population. In 2020, South Sudan was ranked 185 out of 189 in the Human Development Index (HDI) and was shown to have among the world’s lowest human development outcomes.[1]

Women and Youth are faced by many challenges, which range from limited access to basic social services

such as education and health, to widespread unemployment and limited opportunities to engage in productive livelihoods.

Limited access to educational and other relevant livelihood skills and few employment opportunities mean that out-of-school, single mothers, widows and female headed families become more vulnerable to negative coping methods such as substance abuse, prostitution and mental health challenges.

The oil sector of South Sudan is the key driver of economic growth, accounting for over 70 percent of Gross

Domestic Product in 2017, but it has not resulted in much-needed jobs for South Sudanese. The oil industry is highly controlled and sets stringent international standards. Thus, the oil sector largely imports labor due to lack of a qualified local labor force. The other economic sectors include agriculture (10%), manufacturing (7%) and services (6.1%). The country’s rich natural endowment has not translated into improved standards of living for the people of South Sudan, particularly as much of the population is mobile due to insecurity.

South Sudan real GDP in 2018 was 0.5% and since then just a slight increment has been achieved, this cannot support jobs for the rapidly growing population, especially women and youth.

The poverty rate in South Sudan is estimated at 82 percent of the total population[2].  The demand for skilled labor is growing in South Sudan in sectors such as hospitality and construction. However, the current labor force does not have the required skills and mentality to enable women and youth to take advantage of the job opportunities. This has resulted in the country importing skilled labor from neighboring countries, contributing to South Sudanese women and youth unemployment.

Over 2.2 million[3] children were out of school in 2018, representing 47 percent of the 4.7 million Population of school-aged children in South Sudan.

Women seriously lack the knowledge and skills, including work readiness, psychosocial and social emotional skills, and the soft and life skills needed to function effectively. Despite these gaps, women would like to work and earn a living as well as lead healthy and productive lives and support their children to school.

Notably, the many years of conflict in the country have exacerbated ethnic tensions that weakened the social fabric and have had a negative impact on children’s mental health. The children associated with armed conflict in the country are estimated at 190,009[4].

In relation to health, although all young girls face multiple obstacles in accessing reproductive health supports and services, especially during the adolescence stage, the circumstances of adolescent girls and young women are particularly challenging. Child marriage and adolescent pregnancy remain quite high, with 31% of youth ages 15-19 already experiencing childbirth. Overall, about 51% of women ages 20-24 were married before the age of 18 despite the association of child marriage with childbirth complications and infant and maternal mortality.

CSD food security programme helps the vulnerable women and orphans in Yambio to do farming. Our CSD extension workers train women groups on group farming for livelihoods, producing crops to feed their families and bring surplus to market for sale. Collect the money into the group treasury and later distribute among themselves for the purchase of other basic services and materials.

Community Skills Development (CSD) has introduced VSLA (village saving and loan Associations) initiatives among our women farmers beneficiaries to help them diversify on their livelihood economic activities in addition to cultivation.

We call upon our benefactors to donote to us so that we (CSD) can continue to support the program to build the capacity of vulnerable women and empowers them to lead healthy, engaged, and productive lives in their communities. CSD will support the development of life skills and strengthen relationships among women, their families and communities.

The life skills will promote women readiness skills including functional literacy, numeracy, soft skills, social emotional skills, and economic opportunities for vulnerable and marginalized women. Driving the women to economic opportunities, foster employment, and promote entrepreneurship.

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.

One of beneficiaries, Julie exclaimed that she wishes this programme can stay for an additional 3 years, their lives would never remain the same as before. Julie wants to point to the positive changes in her life and that of her family brought about by CSD in collaboration with our benefactors through GlobalGiving.

We remain grateful and thanking you very much.

Ignatius Mborihenga

Director

Community Skills Development

Yambio, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan

E-mail: ignatiuszasi@gmail.com

Whatsapp: +256788226641

[1]  UNDP 2020. ‘Human Development Report 2020: Accessible at:

http://hdr.undp.org/sites/all/themes/hdr_theme/country-notes/SSD.pdf

[2] World Bank (2021) Available at https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/southsudan/overview#1

[3] UNESCO (2018) Global Initiative for Out of School Children and Youth Report. South Sudan.

[4] U.S. States Department Report on Child Soldiers: accessed on Dec 17, 2021, at:

https://www.stimson.org/2021/cspa-country-south-sudan/