World Vision's Work in Southern Sudan

World Vision started work in Southern Sudan in 1989. In 1993, WV expanded its activities by implementing programs in food security, water and sanitation, primary healthcare and emergency relief to assist vulnerable people affected by war. WV Southern head office was in Nairobi, Kenya until June 2007 when it transitioned into Southern Sudan capital, Juba following the signing of comprehensive agreement between Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the government of Sudan in 2005. Currently, World Vision is helping more than 2 million people throughout Southern Sudan.

Recent Achievements

In 2008, World Vision reached 2 million people comprising of returnees, internally displaced persons and people affected by emergencies in Southern Sudan through emergency relief and recovery programs in the following sectors: Health and Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, Food Security and Livelihoods, Peace-building and Protection, Education, Food Aid, and Humanitarian Emergency Affairs.

Disaster Response

Upper Nile, Unity and Warrap states are prone to seasonal floods which destroy crop leaving people homeless with no food and medical care. World Vision has been responding to these chronic emergencies by proving food and non-food items to the affected population.

Food Aid

The Food Aid program helps returnees, internally displaced persons and vulnerable communities to survive. Food is also used to mobilize labor to build schools and clinics in the targeted areas. In 2008, more than 350,000 individuals benefited from the food aid program. World Vision utilized food donated by its partners to rehabilitate and construct permanent schools and clinics through food for education and food for work. Another considerable chunk of food was given to emergency affected people, refugees, returnees and vulnerable community members.

Humanitarian Emergency Affairs (HEA)

The Humanitarian Emergency Affairs sector provides non-food items to support re-integration of communities and strengthen their coping mechanism. The program also strengthens disaster preparedness and risk mitigation capacities of the communities living in floods prone areas. In 2008, WV Southern Sudan supported an estimated 201,576 beneficiaries in Upper Nile, Unity, and Bahr el Ghazal and Western Equatoria states with these items. The HEA also worked in partnership with the community and local authorities to construct a dyke to protect about 5,000 families from flood waters in Mayendit County, Unity State.

Health and Nutrition

The protracted conflict in South Sudan has left the country with a dilapidated health system and structure. WV provides health services to an estimated 1.3 million direct beneficiaries including children and pregnant women. WV provides curative health services, health education, vaccinations and capacity building of health workers in health centers. WV Southern Sudan also supports 14 Primary Health Care Centers and 70 Primary Health Care Units across Southern Sudan.

Water and Sanitation

Southern Sudan’s rural population (60%) has little or no access to clean water and sanitation facilities. WV Southern Sudan provides beneficiaries with improved access to sanitation through drilling of bore holes, construction of filters and improved latrines in targeted schools and health facilities. WV also conducts campaigns to shun unhygienic practices among the target communities.

Food Security and Livelihoods

Through the food Security and Livelihood program , World Vision is strengthening household coping mechanisms, building the resilience of vulnerable households by providing agricultural production inputs and training to farmers. In 2008, World Vision distributed seeds to 17,500 House Holds in Western Equatoria, Warrap and Upper Nile regions and trained 11,347 Farmers on new farming techniques across 13 farmer field schools in Yambio, Gogrial, Tonj and Shilluk. Additional 9,735 Farmers benefited from 115,210 assorted fruit seedlings while some vulnerable families received 762 goats in Tonj, and Shilluk Kingdom. Some 70,000 fishing hooks were also distributed to communities that rely on fishing for their livelihood.

Peace building and protection

Southern Sudan is still grappling with local tension owing to struggle over control of local resources. WV Southern Sudan is supporting local peace initiatives and humanitarian protection of the most vulnerable community members through psycho-social and reintegration program s reaching 145,000 people across Western Equatoria, Warrap and Upper Nile, states in Southern Sudan.
Education

World Vision is working with community and government structures to address education needs. World Vision Southern Sudan’s envisions greater access to quality education for an increasing number of children, better management of the schools and education system, increased community support towards mobilization of local resources for public development activities, and stronger institutional capacity of community structures for reconstruction and development of Southern Sudan. In 2008, World Vision workers in Southern Sudan:

• constructed additional school structures in Gogrial East Warrap State
• rehabilitated a school at Panyikang County in Upper Nile to provide improved learning spaces for children
• conducted life skills training for 94 participants –including a local chief and a women leader on issues ranging from gender, child protection, health, hygiene and sanitation
• trained 68 Parent Teachers Association members on leadership and management of schools
• Trained 26 women and men on gender issues.
  
  

World Vision workers in Sudan are actively involved in the mobilization of communities towards enrollment and retention of school-age children, especially girls.

Sponsorship:

WV doesn’t have sponsorship program s in Southern Sudan.

Staff members:

506 staff members as of January 2009, comprising 446 national and 60 international staff.



World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world’s poor regardless of a person’s religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press