Food Champions in a time of Famine
As the world donates millions of dollars for food relief in South Sudan, one community is determined to achieve food security
Just days ago the Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop announced over $19 million would be given in emergency assistance to an estimated 10 million people starving in South Sudan and the surrounding region.
It was in response to a desperate plea from the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator Mr Stephen O’Brien who in March announced the “worst humanitarian disaster” since the formation of the United Nations in 1945.
In the face of the worsening crisis the leaders of St Andrews Episcopal Church in Aweil developed their own response. Forming the New Wider Hope for Agriculture Development Agency (NWHADA) the community aims to achieve food security and income generation while also striving for improved education and gender equality.
Executive Director Luka Thel says “We are building a network of food champions. We put agriculture at the centre, because we know we can't overcome poverty or hunger until all our people have equal rights to food.”
Despite the extreme challenges of drought, civil war and economic collapse, New Wider Hope has been able to establish a large agricultural cooperative supported by their state government and the World Food Program.
Luka has requested Fulcrum Aid to provide two drums of fuel for the tractor to be used in planting crops. At harvest time, half of the crop will be shared with the 500 members of the program, and the remainder will be used to fund the development of the project.
Fulcrum Aid Project Manager Mary Awit Kuac originates from Aweil where the project is based. She says “I am grateful we are able as an international community to aim for such tangible results and fulfilling them by providing for the starving communities of South Sudan during this famine. I am even more excited that we are not only helping them now, but we are sowing into their future through them growing their own food, which costs less."
About the Author
Steve Blacket
Steve is the Managing Director of Fulcrum Aid, an organisation dedicated to sustainable freedom from extreme poverty with partnerships in four countries across Africa and the Asia-Pacific. Steve’s urban ministry in South Australia led to lifelong friendships among the South Sudanese refugee community who requested Steve’s assistance with community development in their homeland. Working with a faith-based organisation Steve initiated and managed various projects in South Sudan including Darfur refugee support, training and resourcing Traditional Birth Attendants, an intervention program for war affected children, a Midwives Training School, a program for girl’s education, and a community agricultural enterprise. Steve also initiated education projects and social enterprises among the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. Steve returned to Australia in 2013 with a vision of how a small, non-aligned aid organisation committed to assisting early stage, locally initiated projects could make a difference. Partnerships and project opportunities continue to grow, including slavery rehabilitation in South Sudan, social enterprises in Bangladesh, independence schemes for vulnerable young women in Uganda and South Sudan, holistic care for HIV affected children in Bangladesh, and resourcing a Nurse and Midwife School in Juba, South Sudan. Steve’s vision drew support from across Australia and in 2014 he led the founding of Fulcrum Aid, dedicated to supporting in-country leaders and harnessing Australian partners and resources so that local communities could move towards sustainable freedom from extreme inequality and poverty. Today Fulcrum Aid has a dedicated team of Directors and an expert staff including Business, Project, Publicity and Research consultants, supported by Steve in his role as Managing Director.
Contact Steve by email here.
Comments (4)
luka thel thel
very much Mr. steve God bless you
luka thel thel
reply
Fulcrum Aid
Majokdit (Steve)
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luka thel thel
for their good support to the New wider hope Aweil -South sudan
because in fact are in need of support in south sudan now a day to the work on Agriculture is not easy one any more every is spensive too much
thank you
luka thel
reply
luka thel thel
yin aci leec e peidit nhialic ke yen
reply