WAU – A two-day programme conducted by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had a special goal: To harness partnerships with residents of Wau in Western Bahr El Ghazal Citizens and involve them in finding solutions to usher in development across their state.

Seventy participants—civil society representatives, government officials, academics, and community leaders—came together to hold productive discussions to finalize a workplan that will serve as a blueprint to bring peace and prosperity to people living here.

The meeting came on the heels of a community mapping exercise that is intended to finalize an area-based plan that includes all partner activities aimed at addressing community needs.

“This year, our state is the third in the country in terms of food security,” said Arkangelo Augstino Futur, Minister of Animal Resources, Fisheries, and Tourism, speaking at the event.

“Our goal is to enhance our production in future and for that we need support in terms of equipment and seeds,” he added.  

Minister Arkangelo also called for prioritizing both farming and cattle keeping to fight hunger and pave the way for development in the state

“Our target for 2022 is to provide seeds to some 21,000 farming households,” stated Joseph Matere, the Head of FAO in Wau. “Moreover, our veterinary programmes are aiming to vaccinate 70,000 cattle, 50,000 sheep and goats in the first round, and another 2,500 cattle in the second round,” he revealed demonstrating the UN’s commitment to bringing in sustainable progress for the people of Western Bahr El Ghazal.  

Plans are also underway, according to Mr. Matere, to raise awareness among livestock owners and farmers on keeping animals and crop cycles, respectively, free of disease.

“The plan is simple,” explained Sam Muhumure, Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Wau. “Peace and prosperity cannot be achieved without partnerships. All of us – the government, the UN family, and other stakeholders — therefore mapped all the different activities we are undertaking to make people’s lives better, developed a joint area workplan and, now we are taking it a step further by inviting communities to input into it. Without a proper understanding of what community members need in terms of support, we will not be as effective as we should be. So they are our most critical partners,” he added.

Mr Muhumure also commended all partners for their commitment to supporting recovery and resilience in the state.

At the end of the consultations, recommendations included a three-year area-based plan that will guide planning processes of different partners and also be an advocacy tool for securing resources needed to address community requirements.

Next steps in this process include presenting the document for the state government’s endorsement.