Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The governments of Germany and the Netherlands, along with the European Union, have launched an expanded phase of the Community Driven Rural Development (CDRD) project in Central Equatoria State, South Sudan, as part of a €48 million initiative to improve rural livelihoods under the Team Europe approach.
The CDRD project, now entering a new implementation phase, aims to improve the livelihoods of 27,500 households across eight counties in Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western, Central, and Eastern Equatoria States.
It is also part of the broader Green and Resilient Economy programme funded by the European Union, and implemented in synergy with the GRACE project in Central Equatoria, as well as Western Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and Lakes
Thanks to the additional funding, the project is now expanding into Juba County in Central
Equatoria State, supporting the development of competitive, sustainable, and climate-resilient agricultural value chains.
The project focuses on improved production, access to services and markets, and the empowerment of women and youth.
In addition, the protection and sustainable management of natural resources on a landscape scale aims at securing the basis of the rural economy. Scalable lessons learnt will be introduced into policy-making processes.
The State Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Forestry of Central Equatoria State, Lily Kapuki, opened the event and underlined the importance of improved food and Nutrition security for smallholder households in South Sudan.
Further attendees were the State Minister of Cooperatives and Rural Development of CES, Director Generals from line state ministries, Payam administrators, and head chiefs, representatives from the German Embassy, the Delegation of the European Union, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Others were youth and women union representatives, private sector actors and national and international organisations such as IFAD and GRACE Project consortium (FAO/WFP/ITC).
This expansion is part of the EU’s broader Green and Resilient Economy programme and complements the GRACE project being implemented in Central and Western Equatoria, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, and Lakes States.
“The EU Delegation to South Sudan is proud to co-fund this initiative under our broader Green and Resilient Economy Programme,” said Vittoria Longato, Food Security and Rural Development Manager at the EU Delegation.
“This initiative has been jointly developed with the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), co-founders of the first phase of CDRD, in a Team European approach. Our shared goal is clear: to support the people of South Sudan in building a sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient economy.”
“The EU Delegation to South Sudan is proud to co-fund this initiative under our broader Green and Resilient Economy Programme,” said Vittoria Longato, Food Security and Rural Development Manager at the EU Delegation.
“Jointly developed with BMZ and the Netherlands in a Team Europe approach, our shared goal is clear: to support the people of South Sudan in building a sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient economy.”
The event also facilitated the expansion of the Central Equatoria State Steering Committee for the EU Green Resilient Economy Action, which provides oversight for both the CDRD and GRACE projects.
The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in cooperation with the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) and other local and international partners.
In South Sudan, GIZ works on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Germany continues to support South Sudan’s long-term development, particularly in the areas of local governance, agri-food systems, rural development, water and sanitation, peacebuilding, gender equality, and prevention of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
The European Union, an economic and political union of 27 member states, promotes global sustainable development and the core values of democracy, equality, and human rights.
For More News And Analysis About South-Sudan Follow Africa-Press
