Our Impact
Success story from an ongoing project
“Six years passed since we fled out of our village taking refuge in Yambio town center”, said Nakumba. “We saved nothing. Fifteen years of our life are totally erased”. Nakumba, a 41-year-old woman from Rural Yambio and one of the millions affected by the South Sudan crisis, found herself the sole breadwinner of her family after her husband was killed in the war. Living with ten dependent children, of whom one is suffering from bullet wounds and needing to be monitored continuously, Nakumba struggled to find a job with a proper salary, which was nearly impossible. “Before the crisis, I used to work as a farmer with my husband”, said Nakumba. “After the devastating conditions in Village we fled heading nowhere then we chose to return to our hometown, Gangura Payam, where I only managed to work as a servant in a local store. I neither had the skills nor experience to find a better opportunity. The income was insufficient; it was less than enough to buy food and medicine for my family.”
As a response to this situation, CASSO implemented a livelihoods initiative in Gangura Payam. It succeeded in giving grants in kind of 20 piglets to 20 women in Yambio to provide job opportunities to IDPs and their host community. Additionally, reviving Village saving, and loan association established by CASSO and alleviating the need for saving and financial literacy that emerged during the crisis because of lack of Banks and micro finance institutions. Nakumba was one of the beneficiaries from this project. At the beginning she received training on the essential skills of Agribusiness and entrepreneurship skill, then she started to work with her colleagues to provide fresh vegetable and Agri-Products to customers. “I love this job; I learned new skills and I earn enough cash that allows me to fulfill the needs of my family. Now, I can buy clothes and medicine and we no longer need to borrow from anyone”, said Nakumba with a smile on her face.
Bakasuro, a 35-year-old man who was forced, like many others, to leave his home due to the ongoing hostilities and take refuge in Yambio’s neighbourhood. “I used to work as a commercial car driver and a teak tree farmer and I’m suffering from cervical disk prolapse as a result of wounds I sustained from road ambush,” Bakasuro said, adding “after displacement I was jobless. I depended on all sorts of humanitarian aids but that was not enough to secure a stable life for my family. I was searching for a decent job, but I couldn’t find any available opportunities since the roads I always operated on got closed.” In early February 2023, Bakasuro succeeded in joining CASSO’s project in Gangura Payam. He was delighted to join the team and work eight hours per day in CASSO tree seedling nursery. Moreover, the monthly wage he receives significantly improved his living conditions and helped him to fulfil the needs of his family. “The first thing I did when I received my first wage was purchase roast chicken for my children. I can’t describe how happy I was to see my children eating this meal after such a long time,” said Bakasuro with a smile on his face. The Environmental Awareness Campaign project provided employment opportunities to 121 people. The tree nursery will also secure afforestation services to approximately 512 students and residents.
