State Launches Concept Paper On Food Security In Kapoeta The Eastern Equatoria State Governor, Louis Lobong Lojore, has launched a concept paper on food security in order to realize livelihood enhancement in the semi arid zone of Kapoeta, seeking a compassionate response from partners. 06 October 2013
*By Peter Lokale Nakimangole * *TORIT, 06 October 2013 [Gurtong] – *According to the presentation made in Torit by the State commissioner of the Headquarters, Mark Akio Ukinbul, Eastern Equatoria State has five ecological zones; green belt, the hills and mountains, the flood plains, the semi arid and iron plateau zones and the move seeks to improve quality life of the people of the semi-arid region of the state. He says the initiative serves as a proposal drawn in line with the government policy and recommendations in South Sudan Development plan and the State strategic Development plan that highlight the importance of increased crop production and vegetation cover and livestock development as core targets of economic development in the state. With a special focus on women and youth to play greater role to take the lead to ensure sustainable food security, employment and income generating for economic growth, the governor stresses that the concept main purpose is to reduce hunger and poverty through sustainable livestock, agricultural and forest management interventions for rural communities in the Kapoeta’s semi-arid zones. He observes that in the region, participation in development by the Community is lacking because of remoteness from the main development centres adding that the rate of rampant illiteracy and ignorance remains high in the community; resulting into a poor utilization of the existing natural resources and livelihood opportunities from being tapped. The governor however praises a section of some development partners in his state but urges them to respond to his latest plea in order to improve productivity of rural agricultural and livestock industries in Kapoeta areas to alleviate suffering of hunger and poverty. Also, the Concept paper calls on development Partners in the state to empower women and the youth to have access to micro-finance and institution so to undertake Business ventures, marketing and create jobs for economic growth. The governor in his 5-page concept paper, narrated in details that the pastoral communities inhabiting the Kapoeta region have remained vulnerable suffering from a vicious cycle of poverty, hunger.<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/ArticleView/mid/519/articleId/13047/Kapoeta-Residents-Guided-To-Diversity-Crop-Growing.aspx> He said as a result, the communities have continued lacking the capacity to meet their basic needs of food, shelter, medical health care and education saying most categories of them are nomadic and survive on milk, meat and blood with available skins and hides not being put on to appropriate use which he noted will always reduce economic value of livestock. The just launched concept paper on food security and livelihood enhancement has identified cattle theft and raiding as the main source of insecurity and instability in the region. The lack of community participation in development due to remoteness of the areas from the main development centres and rate of illiteracy and ignorance is rampant among the community which has resulted into poor utilization of the existing natural resources in the area. He added that the aim and the purpose of the concept paper launched is to reduce hunger and poverty through sustainable livestock, agricultural and forest management interventions for rural communities in the semi arid zones of Kapoeta with special focus on women and youth to play a greater role in order to ensure sustainable food security, employment and income generation for economic growth and thereafter improvement in quality of life of the people in the semi arid region of the State. The Commissioner for Headquarters, Mark Akio, stressed that the concept paper project will increase agricultural productivity through crop diversification and cattle raiding and theft which is the source of insecurity and consequently affecting development will be reduced as many youth will be engaged in productive farming. The conflicts are characterized by cattle raids, circles of revenge attacks and killings and child abductions using firearms and border conflict raising the level of insecurity throughout the State and causing fear among citizens and contributed to lack of stabilization and development. In addition, the absence of good governance and law enforcement structures at Payam level, corrupt leaders and presence of fire-arms in the hands of civilians creates insecurity. The concept paper proposed a combination of strategies, approaches and processes that aim at establishing and facilitating durable peace through reconciliation, institutional capacity building and establishment of governance structures at the County Payam level, and building political as well as economic development transformation at the community level. The paper called for an urgent need for collaboration and partnership among key actors such as international development partners like the UN and NGOs to swiftly move interventions towards provision of ‘peace dividend’ in terms of basic services in the areas of physical infrastructure, education, health, water and sanitation, food security and access to information; emphasizing the need for the agencies to conduct inter-agency assessment across all sectors in the state and strengthen coordination across sectors and between development partners and the state government with the aim of attaining sustainable peace and development. Posted in: Home<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/1/Home.aspx>, Business<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/2/Business.aspx>, Governance<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/6/Governance.aspx>, Foreign Aid/Assistance<http://www.gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124/ctl/CategoryView/mid/519/categoryId/30/Foreign-AidAssistance.aspx> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14opxAR3Yp%3DMe24m1bXgFG%2Bq6idXz7i96J97d%3DkyoNRUWGw%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
