Empower 103 Households for their Livelihoods

                                                                                                              September 28, 2020

Sixth ID: 32851

Project Title: Empower 103 households for their livelihoods

The chain of poverty;

South Sudan, having achieved its independence in 2011, is still struggling to economically support its populace. The conflicts South Sudan has undergone since December 2013 have again undermined the development gains achieved since independence, worsened the humanitarian situations; causing heavy costs on the population, livelihoods and economy. As a result, by 2018, 7.1 million persons needed emergency assistance. 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).

Like most countries in Africa, the bulk of the population in South Sudan is comprised of youth (73.7% of population is below 30). Despite this useful and energetic age-group number, the potential of the youth however has not been harnessed to contribute towards the development of the country but instead has been and continue to be used to fuel conflict. Youth unemployment; estimated at 40 percent (UNDP, 2012) is on the rise as the prolonged war/conflict posed huge economic challenges in the country.

Youth destitution and lack of empowerment, especially the widespread absence of productive capacities and income generation opportunities, are among the principal factors sustaining the ongoing conflict in South Sudan. 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 and who survive of less than $1.25 per day.

Of the employed youth, 85 percent of the workforces are involved in non-paying labour, mainly agriculture (up to 78%). This is because about 95 percent of the country's population depends on subsistence farming, fishing or herding to meet their food and income needs. A thriving agriculture sector therefore plays an essential role in addressing both youth unemployment and food insecurity in South Sudan. The potential for agriculture production in South Sudan and Yambio in particular is considerable. About 75 percent of the land area is suitable for agriculture while approximately 50 percent of the total 64.7 million hectares of land is suitable for cultivation. However, only four percent of this area is cultivated mostly by smallholder subsistence farmers (FAO 2015).

Provision of short and long-term employment opportunities for women heads of vulnerable households are increasingly becoming key to enhancing resilience and food security.

Single mothers have the desire to seek remedies to their poverty. Community Skills Development has organized and teamed the women into groups; a) Women Farmers b) Tailoring group.

Each group is engaged continuously in some sort of initiatives for empowerment and resilience.

Every single mother has her own special story to tell

Community Skills Development majorly supports impoverished women in Yambio within Western Equatoria State. Women are at the fore front of our focused endeavors; to empower, 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. Community Skill Development continues to provide women farmers with agricultural tools, seeds and extension services. Providing scholarship to orphans, unaccompanied children and train another group of women in tailoring skills. This tailoring group is now involved in the manufacture of Face Masks. CSD has trained two groups of women farmers at Zambago and Tindoka. It is our hope to extend this support to the third group of women for farming in Nagori, South of Yambio Town; when we secure additional financial aid.

Over the last three months after May 2020, we were able only to provide extension services, purchased fuel to operate irrigation machine, conduct field visits and kept the women farmers groups coordinated. The cost of empowering women farmers each planting season totals to US$ 7,000. We do receive less than US$ 1,000 each season and we do live on the hope to achieve our goal in the near future. We appreciate your support very much and thank you. Note that your contribution comes towards the support of very poor and vulnerable people who are being oriented and empowered to help themselves.

We remain grateful and thanking you very much.