Sustainable Agriculture For Economic Resiliency (SAFER) that is being implemented by STO, facilitated by FAO and funded by USAID is a project that focusses on promoting sustainable livelihoods of the rural population through interventions which aim to strengthen the resiliency and boost the productivity of different households in suitable enterprises.
The project is playing a key role in supporting agriculture to build the resilience of rural livelihoods in response to conflict. It is improving livelihoods of farmer groups in Yambio (Yambio town, Gangura and Bangasu Payams), Nzara (Nzara Centre, Basukangbi and Sakure Payams) and Tombura (Tombura Centre, Mupoi and Source Yubu Payams) that experienced stressed and crisis levels of food insecurity due to the civil conflict that is coming to an end.
SAFER focuses its interventions on:
- Household and community livelihoods restored and diversified through identifying viable or existing alternative or secondary livelihood/income-generating activities that engage especially women and youth groups in a participatory manner.
- Good agricultural production practices restored and strengthened, this is being done by supporting households in strengthening sustainable agricultural production practices through the provision of quality agricultural inputs, with technical support and trainings.
- Community and intercommunal resource sharing and management practices strengthened, this output is protecting, securing and reducing tension in accessing natural resources through peace-building platforms and common activities in a natural setting.
The development hypothesis of SAFER is that “if the project can strengthen and diversify livelihood systems, as well as and restore good agricultural production practices, while simultaneously and strengthening rural community and intercommunal resource sharing and management practices; then food security and resilience of the targeted populations in Western Equatoria is being enhanced.”
