JUBA – At least 27,500 households in four states in South Sudan will benefit from a 52-million-dollar community driven rural development (CDRD) project funded by Germany, Netherlands and the European Union in four states.
Launched in Central Equatoria State. Under the CDRD project is supporting households in 8 counties of Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western, Central, as well as Eastern Equatoria States.
It is also part of the broader Green and Resilient Economy programme funded by the European Union and implemented in synergy with the GRACE project in Central Equatoria, as well as Western Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Lakes (FAO, WFP and ITC).
With the additional funding, the project is now expanding into Juba County in Central
Equatoria State, supporting the development of competitive, sustainable, and climate-resilient agricultural value chains.
The project focusses on improved production, access to services and markets, and the empowerment of women and youth. In addition, the protection and sustainable management of natural resources on a landscape scale aims at securing the basis of the rural economy.
Opening the event, CES Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Forestry, Hon. Lily Kapuki, underlined the importance of improved food and nutrition security for smallholder households in South Sudan.
The CDRD launch event also served as platform for the expansion of the Central Equatoria State Steering Committee of the EU Green Resilient Economy Action which includes the CDRD and GRACE projects.
“The EU Delegation to South Sudan is proud to co-fund this initiative under our broader Green and Resilient Economy Programme.” said Vittoria Longato, Food Security and Rural Development Manager at the EU Delegation.
“This initiative has been jointly developed with the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), co-founders of the first phase of CDRD, in a Team Europe approach.
Our shared goal is clear: to support the people of South Sudan in building a sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient economy.”
The CDRD project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and other implementing partners. In South Sudan, GIZ works on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Germany supports the long-term development of South Sudan, above all in the fields of local governance, rural development, sustainable agri-food systems, water and sanitation supply, peace and reconciliation, gender equality and SGBV prevention.