Support farmers and fight poverty in Sudan

In the first few months of 2014, Sudanese farmers who participated in trainings made possible by your generous support increased their average income from 200 SDG to 900 SDG per month – that is nearly $120 per month!

This amount is substantial for vulnerable families in this impoverished region of Sudan.  

The Near East Foundation conducted the training in Um Rawaba where farmers learned successful strategies in gum arabic farming techniques and gained access to microfinance.  The skills farmers gained at this workshop have translated into increased gum arabic production – and contributed to the increases in household income.

Huda, a gum arabic farmer and mother of 9 in North Kordofan, learned through the training session how her techniques were actually inadvertently damaging her production and destroying the crop on which her livelihood depends.

“Before taking part in the training workshops, I had little idea of best practices for cultivating and collecting gum arabic from the local Acacia woodlands,” Huda said.  “Without much consideration for the trees, we used them for many things: charcoal production, firewood, and gum arabic.”

Thanks to your support, Huda and other farmers like her are actually increasing their income while helping to preserve the Acacia tree. 

“The workshops taught me the how to harvest gum arabic in a way that actually stimulates tree growth,” Huda said. “It has also shown me how to manage loans and revenue.”

NEF has pioneered innovative solutions to economic development challenges impacting communities throughout the Sudan for over three decades. With your generous support, we can continue helping farmers like Huda Muhammad to build a more prosperous and sustainable future.

Thank you for your ongoing support - it is vital to vulnerable gum arabic farmers and their families in Sudan!