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Our Activities in South Sudan From Releif to Development AMURT started its operations in South Sudan during the war in 1998. Over a number of years AMURT has been providing the people in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, a region close to the frontline between North and South, with food, water and medicine. Since 1998, AMURT’s team in the field has grown and the interventions have changed from relief to development. In cooperation with UNICEF, WFP, CARE, USAID, JICA and the European Commission, AMURT now supports activities involving the education system, food security, micro business and water and sanitation. Today, the AMURT team in Sudan consists of 70 members. Activities AMURT is working around 5 main chapters: A. Support to the education system B. Increase food security C. Develop micro business D. Water and sanitation activities E. Local Capacity Building A. Support to the education system
12,000 children are currently receiving school materials such as textbooks, notebooks and pens from AMURT. Moreover, AMURT aims at increasing the number of girls receiving education. To that end, we run regular awareness raising activities to show to the parents how important it is that their daughters know how to read, write, and count. AMURT also has a training centre for primary teachers, who are in dire need in Sudan. Since 1998 approximately 400 teachers have been trained. We also aim to have 1/4 of our trainees be women. These women can become great role models for young girls and they also make parents more willing to send their daughters to school . Finally, AMURT runs a vocational training centre where nearly 60 girls each year receive training to become tailors. This vocational training is supplemented by instruction in English, mathematics and reading and writing in their mother tongue, Dinka. Just recently 23 girls graduated from our Mabil Vocational training centre and have qualified for assistance under our Micro credit program. Most of them are doing well and have developed businesses in various market places. To increase in general the capacities of the schools, AMURT runs workshops for school supervisors/directors and for the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) who are in charge of running the school’s day-to-day activities. B. Increase food security Food security is a major issue in Sudan. More than 20 years of war have led the Sudanese people to depend upon foreign food aid. Now that peace has returned to Sudan, food support will be faded out. To prevent a foreseeable food crisis it is very important that the people start once again to grow their own crops. Currently, AMURT is working with and around schools. We started school gardens in 12 different locations. The school gardens shall produce food for the pupils and also teach them how to cultivate. Around each school, about 30 farmers participate in training sessions covering efficient cultivation methods, crop storage and ox ploughing. As of today more than 300 farmers are members in our training groups. Last year we supported around 825 acres of land for farming of ground nuts, sorghum and sesame. In addition to the training groups, AMURT provided the farmers with tools and seeds.
C. Develop micro business The micro credit programme is targeted at women with the mission that they should be empowered and supported in a world where still too many obstacles stand in the way of a woman who wants to support herself and her family. The women who participate often own a teashop or a small restaurant, or they are traders or tailors. What they all have in common though is that they live from hand to mouth. They do not make large sums of money, and if a disease keeps them out of business for a couple of days, their subsistence is at stake. In the micro credit programme, the women organize themselves in groups. They meet weekly for training sessions in micro-business. The women save up their money so that they can reach the minimal amount for obtaining their first loan. Once they have reimbursed this first loan, they can then continue on to apply for the second loan. Currently, AMURT has supported nearly 500 women with micro loans. Our statistics show 95% loan repayment rate. More than 200 women have already repaid the 1st loan entirely and have obtained their 2nd loan of a higher amount. All the women were able to improve their businesses and some beneficiaries were even able to start employing staff!
D. Water and sanitation activities
The main goal of this programme is to sensitize communities to the importance of hygiene and to encourage latrine use within the villages. In 2006, 8 hygiene promoters were trained in holding workshops to educate children, community leaders and ordinary community members. All parts of society must understand the importance of hygiene for the program to be most effective. Another important part of this prevention is the construction and use of pit latrines. AMURT aims to equip all AMURT-supported schools with pit latrines. Currently, more than 75 toilets have been constructed in different locations. In addition, AMURT has undertaken toilet construction in various public places like the Commissioner’s office, Police station, Payam Chief’s residence and some market places so that safe habits can be emulated. E. Local Capacity Building
AMURT also aims at employing local staff to increase capacities. Our Sudanese colleagues grow in numbers and we hope to continue the growth. Indeed, their help is invaluable in the understanding of local customs and interacting with many of our beneficiaries. |
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