When South Sudan declared independence in July, people celebrated enthusiastically. Now it is up to them what they do with their freedom. And whether they will use the potential their country has—not only through oil extraction. For the first time, they have the governance of the country in their hands. And responsibility is hard work.
"Let us celebrate our hard-won freedom, but in the morning we have to wake up with a clear head and work," South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit said at the founding session of the South Sudanese parliament. In his speech he repeatedly used the word "work."
Among the priorities of his government, he also included more efficient agriculture. The country has suitable conditions for it, but it does not use its potential enough and must buy most products expensively across the border. At the same time, many people are threatened by malnutrition, and food aid for development and humanitarian projects is brought there by the World Food Programme. At the same time, the government declaration says, "We have fertile soil, we could supply the whole region with food instead of importing it. We just need not be afraid to get our hands dirty."
The message is addressed to all inhabitants of South Sudan, but this treasure in the form of fertile soil is especially directed at the largest tribe, the Dinka. The Dinka are proud herders and derive their wealth from the number of cattle they own. However, for them, working the land—a livelihood that could even be envied in Khartoum—is something new.
Of course, not all inhabitants of South Sudan are traditional herders. But even those who already make their living by cultivating land need support. Without investments in seeds, knowledge of agricultural technologies, and only with tools resembling a hoe, they cannot grow much.
That is why, beyond being a mere paper priority, real development of agriculture should be the real priority of development aid in South Sudan. This is also the area on which the civil association SAVIO focused. "People are used to farming only during the rainy season. That is why we, for example, teach them irrigation so they are less dependent on the amount of rainfall and can influence yield more," explains the project's goal, says Juraj Janto from SAVIO.
For farmers from the area around Maridi, three-month training programmes were prepared in which they learned to farm more efficiently. "The courses had both theoretical and practical parts. We planned each for twenty farmers, but because of the high interest we took thirty to the first course. We selected representatives from nearby settlements. They can then pass on to others what they learned," Janto explains.
Subsequent support projects follow the programme— a seed and seedling bank, a machine and tool lending service, and microloans intended to get the economy moving. In addition, the basics of agriculture were included in the curriculum of the local primary school. Local people received the project with enthusiasm. "Around Maridi lives the Azande tribe. They are traditional small-scale farmers, so they already have a relationship with working the land. They farmed even during the war and are hardworking and peace-loving," Janto says.
No major difficulties arose. "Everyone was afraid of what would happen after the referendum and independence declaration, but fortunately everything went peacefully. The bigger problem was transporting a tractor on a muddy road from the capital Juba to Maridi," he says lightly. Farmers learned to work with a tractor, fight pests, and increase their yield so they did not have to worry about their livelihoods. They primarily cultivated maize, sesame, beans, onions, cauliflower, eggplants, pineapple, bananas, papaya or roselle. One third of the harvest remained with them, and the rest went to sale to cover part of the costs.
SAVIO cooperated with BoscoAid and the Bangladeshi NGO BRAC on the project. SlovakAid provided over 152,000 euros to the programme, SAVIO contributed 16,000 from the Tehlička for Africa collection and BoscoAid contributed 15,000 euros. The one-year project is coming to an end, and after it is evaluated SAVIO will consider in what form to continue supporting farmers. The association also expanded the primary school by two classes, and in this region it also plans to build a hospital.
"South Sudan needs at least three things—more efficient agriculture, schools and healthcare. These are the basic conditions for a country to function normally, and we want to support them," says Janto. "People are hungry for knowledge, and thanks to it the country has huge potential. They are rebuilding their country from scratch and are learning. It is important that they run it sensibly and in peace. If they use mineral resources, they have a good chance to progress," he adds. President Kiir emphasizes that difficult times await South Sudan. "Building a country is not a game. Without hard work this will not work. We will not progress only from oil sales and foreign donors. It is our moral duty to work, work, work, and work! Lazy people will not build a prosperous country," says the president.
The article appeared in the Rozvojová pomoc - Jeseň 2011 bulletin. It is published by Platforma mimovládnych rozvojových organizácií (MVRO), which is an association of legal entities—the umbrella organization of 31 (23 full members and 8 observers) Slovak non-governmental organizations that focus primarily on international development and humanitarian aid. http://www.mvro.sk
The full issue of the journal Rozvojová pomoc - jeseň 2011 in PDF