Promoting food sovereignty in South Sudan

Project Number: 179.1021

Large areas of South Sudan have been the scene of armed conflicts since the end of 2013, which have not completely ceased even after the 2018 peace agreement. In the remote Pochalla region in the south-east of the country, on the border with Ethiopia, violent conflicts are less frequent. Mission 21 is supporting an integrated agricultural project there: through improved agricultural methods, the partner organization PRDA (Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency) is increasing know-how and thus crop yields. This enables the local farmers to feed their families more diversely and means they do not have to buy expensive imported food. In addition to agricultural support, PRDA facilitates access to water and sanitary facilities.

Background information

The violent clashes that have plagued South Sudan since the end of 2013 are exacerbating the security and supply situation for the population. How are people supposed to live, especially in rural areas? How can basic medical care be ensured? As a partner organization of Mission 21, the Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency (PRDA) has been dealing with these questions for many years. In Pochalla, near the Ethiopian border, PRDA is running a large-scale integrated rural development project with the support of Mission 21 in order to secure health and nutrition for the population in the region and empower families to generate an improved household income.

Project goals

The project aims to improve the living standards of the population in the Pochalla district.

Improved food security
One hot meal a day in Pochalla's schools
Storage options for agricultural surpluses
Knowledge transfer in the fields of hygiene, agriculture and nutrition
Improved health of residents

Target group

The project supports around 1,000 households in Pochalla in their livelihoods and food security. In addition to individuals, the target group includes farming groups and farming families. Particular emphasis is placed on the needs of women and children, especially schoolchildren.

Activities

Training of local staff
Training of contact farmers. These are trained in improved agricultural methods and participatory approaches and pass on their knowledge.
Strengthening peer-to-peer exchange
Organic farming
Issuance of seeds, equipment and tools
Distribution of menstrual pads to schoolgirls
School nutrition program
Creation of storage facilities to preserve surplus harvests

Project progress

After the project started in 2014, there was a setback in 2016. The built base was robbed during a local conflict and many farmers had to flee. At the beginning of 2017, most of it could be rebuilt.

Extensive knowledge of agricultural cultivation methods has already been imparted. In 2023, 20 additional female farmers were trained. In the current project phase, the focus is on ecological and sustainable work. The farmers now produce their own organic fertilizer and obtain 50% of their seeds themselves. In 2021, a storage room was built in which seeds and the harvest can be stored professionally. There is a kitchen right next door and the school feeding program started in 2022. Up to 200 children receive a hot meal at school every day. The school feeding program is to be further expanded in order to provide all children with a hot meal in the future.

In recent years, Pochalla has been repeatedly affected by locust infestations and flooding. Climate change is very noticeable in this region, which is why prevention will become more of a focus in the coming years.

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