Empower 103 Households for their Livelihoods

Project ID: 32851

Project Title: Empower 103 households for their livelihoods

Cash Crop Farming; agricultural crops grown for the purpose of sale or to make profits, instead of subsistence or barter. It is also called commercial farming or cash cropping. In Yambio, only males grow few perennial crops in families. The females and wives do not plant perennial crops in fear of being divorced and sent away from the family and different people enjoy the crops. The fact that most traditional marriages are very unstable in Yambio and Western Equatoria State, is a major reason for married women to neglect planting cash crops in their family plots and generally women actually do not plant cash crops in the region.

Community Skills Development (CSD) works with pioneer women among communities in Yambio, to encourage and support women to own land and other properties, grow perennial and cash crops like coffee, oranges, lemons, avocado, Jack fruit, bananas, mangoes, pineapples, palm trees, cereals, cocoa and many others. Cash crops, if planted and well managed, the owners/farmers earn money in return for sustenance and to meet the family’s requirements.

More so, the community pattern of feeding in Yambio is very poor, not diversified and therefore, so many associated malnutrition consequences in children and adults; sores on legs, stunted growth and poor human development. More than 50% of households in Yambio generally experience severe acute malnutrition which is often associated with high mortality in young infants and it has effects on children as a whole; Mental retardation, stunted growth, poor immune system, micronutrient deficiency, GI tract infections, anaemia and inevitably – death. Any support to help the poor community in Yambio to grow both food and cash crops for themselves will surely help the human race there to survive. Largely, it is a struggle.

Community Skills Development supports the 103 households of single mothers by the provision of extension services, help to diversify cropping and vegetables species with tomatoes, egg plants, Okra, and educate on harsh climate mitigation measures. Irrigation method has been taken up and practiced. CSD is adding the task to support women to grow cash crops as well.

Part of the story

Community Skills Development majorly supports impoverished women in Western Equatoria State where Yambio is the headquarters of that State. The total number of our target population is 17,000 Households in Western Equatoria state for various services. CSD has the record for supporting farmers with agricultural tools and seeds, feeding malnourished children, sponsoring orphans and training women in tailoring skills. When needy women hear about community skills development, they come to express their interest to join the groups and I may say, we are doing our best but resources always stretched.

I must indicate that our fundraising efforts with supporters/ the donors has not met the target and flavor to clearly meet the need. The Government is highly incapacitated to support service delivery programs to the communities; health, livelihoods, or transport network etc. The hope remains with NGOs and CBOs for humanitarian support.

While the empowerment project is targeting three different groups constituting the 103 households, our dream is to empower vulnerable women groups to farm, to create small business via hair dressing and tailoring. We are well above 1/3 on the success but how we wish to achieve at least 2/3 of the target.

We remain grateful and thanking you very much.

March 13, 2023 Thirteenth’s report Project ID: 32851 Project Title: Empower 103 households for their livelihoods The vicious circle of poverty; the Following cycle of low income, low savings, poor capital creation, low productivity, low output, and low income, leading to the decline of supply level; communities of Yambio County of Western Equatoria State, South Sudan continue to depend heavily on agriculture, yet they practice shifting cultivation using rudimentary tools for subsistent purposes. Mechanized agriculture is the way forward to increase production. With the present practice, it is highly doubted if the population will be able to cross the line of absolute poverty to an average living condition. Majority 80% of the population cannot afford 2 meals per day. Not much is being executed to break the chain of desperations. The experience of our vulnerable beneficiaries include but not limited to the following; daily hunger, child malnutrition, a lack of access to clean water, shelter, and health care, no opportunity to go to school, constant fear for the future and increased risk of exploitation and abuse. The people often lack hope for the future because they live in a lie. The lie of poverty, that is reinforced day-in and day-out is, “You don’t matter. You’re worthless.” With more than 400,000 of South Sudanese who lost their lives to civil war only from the span of 2013; orphans and widows make up for the majority of the population. According to War Child Holland report “ more than 5 million children remain displaced, in need of humanitarian support, abuse, exploitation, neglect, profound distress and death.” https://www.warchildholland.org/south-sudan/ Most homes are headed by females and there is acute hunger and children are malnourished. The situation is even worsened by the effect of Rassia-Ukraine war. CSD keeps educating the vulnerable civil population on good and sustainable agriculture practices. Very sadly, Yambio community needs to learn how to mitigate the effects of drastic climate change other than depending entirely on the insufficient seasonal rainfall. We have to double effort and resources for the welfare of the desperate communities of Yambio. Single mothers have the desire to seek remedies to their poverty. Community Skills Development continue to organize and team the women into groups; a) Women Farmers b) Tailoring group and empowering them for economic Each group is already engaged in some sort of initiative for orientation towards self-empowerment. Part of the story Community Skills Development majorly supports impoverished women in Yambio County, Western Equatoria State, South Sudan. Since the year 2015 CSD has provided farmers with agricultural tools and seeds, fed malnourished children, sponsored orphans and also trained women to do farming. Community skills development, identifies program beneficiaries through the collaboration with traditional leaders and members of the community. The need is huge and resources meagre and we are seeking the support of our partners and well-wishers to extend your helping hands to the vulnerable people in South Sudan. Children living in extreme poverty in Africa are especially vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Help protect and care for t n in Africa and around the world with a donation to our Highly Vulnerable Children Fund. The empowerment project is targeting two different groups constituting the 103 households, our dream is to empower vulnerable women groups to farm and tailoring. We are doing well to achieving our objectives and we lean on you to boost our effort in the struggle to support the vulnerable women. The step taken to empower 103 households of single mothers for their livelihoods is only possible because of the support of distinct persons who provided the funds. This time, we were able to purchase vegetable seeds, ground nuts, maize seeds and fuel to operate irrigation machine. The cost of empowering women farmers each farming season totals to US$ 15,000 however we do receive less than a thousand Dollars. In truth, our efforts are being minimally boosted and how we wish we gained women support to help their sisters in this region. Out of the two categories of women groups we set to support; tailors, and Farmers, only the women Farmers have the chance to the support. It is our desire this time round to lay much effort and resources on the tailoring group; to train them and provide them with knitting machines and materials. We will prepare them for entrepreneurship and equip them for their livelihoods. We remain grateful and thanking you very much.