SOS Sahel UK is working together with the International Rescue Committee and ACORD on a three year Recovery and Rehabilitation Project (RRP) in Red Sea State, eastern Sudan. The ultimate objective of this programme is to reduce poverty and increase food security amongst conflict-affected rural households in 33 communities in the Red Sea State.
The communities that SOS Sahel UK is working with are largely from the Beja tribe; one of the most marginalised groups in East Africa. The eastern region of Sudan was hit by severe drought in the 1980s. The Beja lost most of their camel herds and their nomadic way of life collapsed. This forced the majority to settle in the Arba’at delta or migrate to towns to avoid total destitution. Since 1991, we have trained Beja families to harvest the seasonal floodwaters that descend from the Red Sea hills and grow crops on collective farms and home gardens. However, their livelihood continues to be threatened by an unreliable climate that affects the timing and volume of seasonal flooding.
Activities
The programme works through existing local structures; training them so they can become self-reliant and manage their own development interventions in the future. Activities include:
- Capacity building of Village Development Committees (VDCs) and the Arba’at Development Association on topics such as Participatory Rural Appraisal, organisational management, book-keeping, project design and monitoring and advocacy.
- Training communities, particularly women, on issues such as gender and the environment, health, hygiene, childcare and nutrition and HIV/AIDS awareness.
- Providing basic services such as health centres, schools or water networks as chosen by the VDCs themselves. The programme also encourages collaboration between local associations and regional government so the Beja can access basic services directly from government.
- Distributing goats, seeds, water pumps and fishing equipment to increase household food sufficiency and provide income generation opportunities.
Update
The final batches of seeds are currently being distributed to poor farming households in time for the start of the rainy season.
- International Rescue Committee – international NGO
- ACORD - international NGO
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)