16 July 2013 - By donating seedlings to the local Jonglei community, UNMISS Nepalese peacekeepers were playing a vital role in improving food security, the state Minister of Agriculture said in Bor today.

Minister Mayen Ngor Atem, who received the tomato, cabbage, moringa, cucumber, cauliflower, pumpkin and okra seedlings and seeds from the Nepalese at the state's Central Nursery, said the donation would contribute to the government's efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency in urban areas like Bor.

"Many children are malnourished in urban areas across the state due to lack of enough green plants and we hope that such contributions will change this," he added.

Mr. Atem handed over a plot of land at the nursery to the peacekeepers and asked them to train the local population in planting "urban" vegetables.

Major Shiva Prasad Paudel, Commander of Nepalese Force Reserve Company, said his troops would share their agricultural knowledge and skills to help empower the state's residents.

"We are trying to assist locals to achieve food self-sufficiency," he said. "They have (very) fertile land ... that could bring enormous changes (to) their lives and future."

The Nepalese soldiers, along with members of the Rwandan Aviation and Korean Engineering units, also donated footballs on a separate occasion to Jonglei Football Association and Malek Secondary School.

"We believe that sport (can play an important role) in fostering durable peace and stability across Jonglei," Jonglei Football Association Secretary General Okello Gilo said during the handover event.