At least one hundred parent and caregivers of most vulnerable children have participated in a three days training in basic farming and crop production skills. The training aims at providing the participants with knowledge and skills in agronomy and horticulture. The participants were given both theoretical and practical skills in crop and vegetable production that would empower them to produce enough food for their families. 

The training included land preparation, planting, crop management, (weeding, pest and disease control), pre harvest and post-harvest management. 

The project is part of the Widows and Orphans Charitable Organization’s effort to fight hunger and promote wellbeing of children who are affected by multiple and complex emergencies in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state. The training is followed by the distribution of seeds to those who completed the training, targeting the most vulnerable households and people with disability.

Despite the fertile soil in the Upper Nile, most often, people are unable to produce crops due to frequent out break of intercommunal conflicts and flooding that has disrupted the people’s livelihood. These factors have contributed to food insecurity with the highest toll on women and children. This training came at the right time when rainy has just began in this part of the country.

Last year, Widows and Orphans Charitable organization has conducted similar training and distribution of seeds to vulnerable households in Aburoc, in Fashoda before the entire population were displaced in an intercommunal conflict in November last year.  However, most households were unable to produce food as expected to change in whether where crops were destroyed by floods. This year’s attempt to distribute seeds earlier is aim at combatting crop losses due to floodings, pests and diseases. WOCO wants to achieve better child nutrition, and improve general households’ food security of the target participants, and improve overall households’ resilience and coping mechanism.