Santa Angwech David is a 23 years old farmer, with a household size of 3 children, a resident of kilio village in Magwi Boma. Her household status is host community. She said, the day was great and moving on very well and spending most of the day in farm. The crop performance has given her hope and the family are having food and seeds saved for next planting season in 2021. The total kilograms of maize she harvested is 300 kgs, and said she will save 20 kgs as seed and 50 kgs will be sold for school fees or medication to the children in the coming year. In the farm she is still having beans which will be harvested within this month of December and the estimated harvest can be 25kgs.
The cash for seed project supported by food and agriculture organization of the United Nations, funded by USAID and implemented by GLOBAL AIM South Sudan with the objective to increase food security to the vulnerable households under IPC 3. Santa Angwech David said, before she was identified and supported with cash for seed, she didn’t have seeds to plant in the main planting season. Her life was not good due to lack of seeds to plant and food for the household.She said that, she needs the support to produce more food and will be able to sell as income for the household.My challenge in the household is labour to open more feddans.
The action taken by GLOBAL AIM and FAO, and in collaboration with the County agriculture department was to monitor and assessed the vulnerable groups under IPC 3. The beneficiaries affected were identified and supported with cash for seed amounting to 5000 SSP per beneficiary. The cash I received and used for buying maize seeds and beans, and the crops harvest are good and now we can have food and save some seeds.
The project has reduced our household from food insecure because we were lacking money for the seeds and children here need to eat, get medication etc. Through the awareness and training, I have changed my mind and I am able to produce more food. I have learnt that it is good to farm to reduce food insecurity in the community and particularly at house hold level. The project improved my family life by having crops to harvest, consumed some in the house, save some seeds and will be able to sell some as income.
‘’ my life and that of my family have changed in a positive way.’’ Now we can have two meals in a day. said Santa. ‘’I have more seeds than before the support, and income for my family,’’ she said.
My hopes in the future is to produce more food and be able to increase the farm. In the 5-10 years will be able produce more food and seeds to the farmers and also increase farm scale. She hopes that the grant size should be increased by the planting year 2021 to increase the production.
