Look at this field. Green, full and growing. Not long ago, this was idle land, and the family who farms it had just returned from Kakuma Refugee Camp with almost nothing.
When differentiated food assistance was introduced in Kakuma, many South Sudanese families found that their rations no longer covered their basic needs. Returning home was a brave choice, but it came with real risk: arriving in a community with no income, no food and no tools to start again.
EcoRise South Sudan provided returnee families with farming tools, and they did not wait. They cleared the land, planted, weeded and cared for their crops. This vegetable field is the result of that hard work.
Growing vegetables alongside staple crops is a smart choice. Vegetables mature quickly, bringing food and income within weeks rather than months. And if one crop fails because of poor rains or pests, the family still has another to rely on. Diversity on the farm means security in the home.
Too often, returnees are seen as a burden on already struggling communities. This field tells a different story. Given a start, returnees are producers, providers and builders of their communities.
#EcoRiseSouthSudan #IREP #SouthSudan #Returnees #Livelihoods #SouthSudan
With support from @Cohere and @Quadrature Climate Foundation
