Food Security & livelihood

Main activities

• Distribution of seeds, tools and fishing gears
• Training of agricultural extensionist
• Training of contact farmers
• Training on vegetables uses

Our thanks go to the community, our staff, the government, stakeholders, including such pivotal development partners such as Food for the Hungry International-Sudan and all persons and organizations of goodwill who are always willing to help us move on a path toward social healing, tolerance, peace and development. In particular, it is UNKEA’s hope that FHI-Sudan will continue supporting this program so as to help in the realization of the specified objectives as well as help our organization meet its mandate.

The main aim is to help curb hunger, which has claimed lives and remains the major killer in this area and “Working To Bring Hope and Development to the People of Southern Sudan”

Food is a big problem to the community especially during the dry spells since there is always very little or no food in store for the people. This is because agriculture has not been seriously prioritized.

The community’s mode of life is pastrolism which also has been a contributing factor to the under utilization of the soils thus exposing it to soil erosion resulting to dependency on animals for food only.

Food shortages are most pronounced in the region since farming is practiced at a very low percentage giving way to hunger gap periods.

The children of Southern Sudan have suffered a lot due to the effects of war in the last two decades. This has made the community illiterate about food nutrition and balances results being malnutrition and diseases like Marasmus.

Child malnutrition remains a serious concern in Nasir county, UNKEA main objectives is to prevent and manage malnourishment among children under five years and also ensure agriculture is practiced and irrigation during dry seasons.

Malnourishment is due to diet being extremely low in both calories and protein. Survey indicates global acute malnutrition rate is as high as 39% with severe malnutrition ranging from 2%.

UNKEA successfully applied for funding from FHI-Sudan. Upon receipt of the funding, the organization embarked on the implementation program i.e. establishment of demonstration farms in Dingkar and Mandeng Payams.
This shall be in line with our stated vision, “To see a competitive Southern Sudan, with productive and God-fearing people.” The project will help fast track our mission and obligation to the people of Southern Sudan, to realize, “Progress, development and provision of better services to local people in Southern Sudan and empowering them politically, socially and economically.” As always, we shall undertake to realize the project mandate and inculcate values of integrity, accountability, transparency and neutrality

While implementing the project, we first sensitized the community on the importance of agriculture. All these are geared towards realization of desired goals and objectives of the project and also towards improving the lives of the communities involved.

After proper identification of the farm area, FHI-Sudan supplied the community with seeds, tools and fishing equipments through UNKEA for improvement of farming methods.

FHI/UNKEA also identified the poor diets and malnutrition that children were undergoing and supplied the communities with Unimix that saved life. For effective implementation of the project.

Since the commencement of the agriculture project, the communities in Nasir County have learnt several farming methods that are of help to them. These include the vegetables like sukumawiki, onions, tomatoes that have never been planted in these areas. After knowing the nutritional values of these crops, they appreciated UNKEA/FHI-Sudan.

UNKEA has incorporated ladies/women in the program as either direct beneficiaries or workers to ensure there is gender balance in the program.

Proper implementation led to improved crop yields albeit the pest infections. Many have shown the interest of planting vegetables in the dry season under irrigation.

UNKEA has distributed 40 moneymaker water pumps for irrigation during the dry season in Mandeng, which is along river Sobat.

Through this program, UNKEA has also distributed mosquito nets targeting children under five years and pregnant mothers for malaria prevention.

UNKEA has trained a team of agriculture workers who train the community on farming methods for wet agriculture, dry agriculture and recession agriculture.

In conjunction with management staff, UNKEA has competent team in place to help achieve the objectives and goals thematically and through consolidated management.