Page 25 - AWA Vol.42-No3

eNVIrONMeNT CONTrOl

Wau’s women sow, feed and lead

Three of the women farmers in South Sudan who are upholding

and uplifting their community
The sun has yet to rise over the northwestern county of Wau in
South Sudan, but the women are already awake, preparing for
the day ahead. Some stir pots over open flames to make break-
fast for their families, while others gather their tools and set off
for their farms. The quiet stillness of early morning soon turns
into a steady hum of activity as kitchens, fields and markets
come alive with the energy of women at work.
Their daily responsibilities are not just feeding their families
or tending to the crops, women are the backbone of their com-
munity
Over the past three years, the Food and Agriculture Organiza-
tion of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the Swedish goats for rearing. FAO distributed small ruminants to 2 100
International Development Cooperation Agency, has supported women with children under the age of five who were experi-
thousands of women farmers and small business owners in Wau encing malnutrition. Small ruminants such as goats and sheep
with tools and skills in climate-smart agriculture, nutrition and help cushion farmers’ livelihoods during crop failures and pro-
financial inclusion. vide both adults and children with milk for consumption, add-
ing dietary diversity for the households.
Among them are three women, Rebecca, Grace and Viola, who
turned knowledge and skills into businesses to feed their fami- “I feel so happy rearing livestock because they saved the life
lies and nourish their community. of my daughter,” Grace says. As her daughter struggled with
malnutrition, Grace was advised to give her goat’s milk as a
1. Rebecca: Saving small and dreaming big
supplement. She soon saw her daughter’s health improve. “Now
Rebecca Adhel, 34, is the head of a multigenerational house- my daughter is happy and healthy,” Grace adds.
hold of sixteen. For years, she relied on sorghum production to Beyond nutrition, her livestock has given Grace a new pur-
meet her family’s basic needs.
pose. Employing the livestock-rearing best practices she
Four years ago, Rebecca joined a Women’s Economic Empow- learned from FAO, she tends to her goats while her children
erment group, established by FAO and through which the Or- are at school. Neighbours now seek her advice and expertise
ganization’s experts provided trainings to woman farmers with on livestock rearing, and she, in turn, encourages them to get
entrepreneurial ambitions. involved, having seen firsthand how it can help prevent malnu-
Rebecca, for example, had always wanted to start a bakery but trition within the community.
lacked the capital to do so. The programme taught her and the 1. Viola: Growing nutrition
larger group practical skills such as budgeting, marketing and Viola Albino, a 32-year-old farmer, is the primary bread-
record-keeping, as well as social skills, like team building, deci- winner for her family of six. She was involved in small-scale
sion-making, negotiation and leadership that are important for agro-processing and farming before being introduced to the
entrepreneurship.
FAO project.
FAO also helped the women launch the Village Savings and With FAO’s help, in 2022, she started her kitchen garden and
Loans Association (VSLA), a community savings group where business. Viola was trained in improved crop production and
they pool their money and offer loans to members and non was provided seeds and tools to grow okra, amaranth, sorghum,
-members for essential expenses or capital for starting a busi- Jew’s Mallow, cowpeas and more. She also participated in cook-
ness. ing demonstrations focused on preparing high-energy, nutri-
The VSLA was what also allowed Rebecca to take out a loan to ent-rich meals.
start her business of selling freshly baked breads and cakes. The vegetables she successfully grows now provide her family
With the income she earns from her business, she makes ad- with a diverse, nutritious diet and benefit her household and her
ditional income to support her family while also being able to neighbours, who can buy fresh produce from her at a cheaper
pay back her loan. price instead of travelling long distances to the market.
Rebecca voices, “I want to become one of the greatest busi- She looks forward each day to visiting her kitchen garden,
nesswomen in Agok, so that I can help my community shift from which brims with activity as it serves as a shared learning space
small-scale to large-scale business.” where women exchange skills and apply agricultural practices
1. Grace: Living from livestock while growing their vegetables. Looking ahead, Viola hopes to
Grace Ali Darfur heads a family of nine. Before joining the scale up production and become one of the major vegetable
project, she relied on vegetable farming as her main source producers in her community.
of livelihood. In 2022, she was introduced to the FAO project Through improved agricultural practices, small businesses
where she received training, vegetable seeds and tools to en- and better nutrition, Wau’s women farmers like Rebecca, Grace
hance and diversify her vegetable production. and Viola are transforming their lives and their community.
However, the most significant impact came when she received Circle 31 on enquiry card
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