The Global Trading Agency (GTA) Group is the grantees signed for the new Off-Grid program launched by the USADF in association with FYI. This project aims at providing electricity to multiple households and businesses within the Gudele-West area in Juba. Only 1% of the population has access to electricity and power despite having the advantage of sunshine all year round. The GTA group decided to take advantage of this by coming up with the idea of using solar energy to supply their targeted consumers.
The GTA Grant Signing Award Ceremony and their entire team
Up to 750 people (and more in the future) will benefit directly from this project. In South Sudan, there is a high reliance on diesel generators which are quite expensive in the long run-thus many households remain without power and most people lack the capital to start businesses due to the high costs of owning a generator. Solar power in comparison to diesel generations is very efficient and cheaper to maintain in the long run. The only issue is that the installation of a solar panel can go up to 10 times the cost of buying a generator and the local population lack the possibility of maintenance and the high repair costs make it quite expensive to sustain. Due to the high demand for electrical power, the GTA group has decided to devise a project where they would provide solar systems to homes, businesses, NGO’s and government institutions is a prime investment in the South Sudanese context especially in the Capital Juba where GTA is based. Key buyers that GTA has made contact with and provided power to in the past include homes, micro-business Enterprises, pharmacies, NGOs, local churches, hospitals, schools, and government ministries. The eminent success of this project will greatly contribute to the South Sudanese economy as more people within Juba will be able to open more businesses without having to worry about powering their business as they now will have an affordable and reliable electricity supply.
Kenneth Baya- GTA’s Business Manager signing the grant award from the USADF
GTA aims to provide affordable electricity to households and businesses in Juba which will over time increase the quality of life for the residences, as well as the running of the businesses being supplied while reducing contributing to improving the environment by providing a cleaner energy alternative to generators which causes noise pollution and the adverse effects that burning fuel has by emitting pollutants such as Nitrogen oxide into the atmosphere. This project is one of many in the road of making South Sudan more environmentally friendly and developing the economy.
Organic Cooking Oil Company (OCO) was formed by 240 South Sudanese smallholder farmers in 2012, primarily to improve the living standards of its members. OCO has been involved in the production of peanut paste and limited production of peanut oil since its establishment. However, OCO is faced with enormous challenges including lack of funds to double the purchase of peanut from farmers, lack of processing equipment, and lack of technical know-how in the production of peanut oil the funds awarded by the USADF in 2018 was intended to scale up cooking oil-processing business.
South Sudanese smallholder farmers in Kapuri of Central Equatoria State formed Akari Development Association (“ADA”) in 2010. ADA has a membership of 463 individuals, 260 of whom are women. ADA purchases sorghum grains from members, which it processes into sorghum flour and cleaned grains for sale in local markets. ADA would like to expand its sorghum flour processing capabilities, as there is additional strong demand for its product in local markets. ADA is constrained, however, by its use of traditional sorghum flour processing methods, as well as limited business management and financial capacities.
ADA’s Sorghum Milling Capacity Building Project is proposed to improve sorghum production by smallholder farmers with a view to strengthening their operational capabilities. The project is intended to provide necessary inputs such as milling equipment, packaging materials, technical training, and other extension services needed to strengthen operational capabilities of ADA with particular emphasis in value addition development.
The project is financially viable, socially rewarding, and economically sustainable. It is therefore recommended that USADF should provide funding and technical support for the proposed project. The project has high chances of expansion and also being replicated elsewhere in the country.
The proposed project is to be located in Kapuri Village. It is a food-producing project primarily involving in the production and packaging of sorghum flour. The production/packaging of sorghum flour has no negative impact on the environment. The packaging materials or equipment are not noisy. Through the improvement of productivity, most of the members of ADA and the target smallholder sorghum producers will achieve food self-sufficiency. This situation will greatly contribute to the stabilization of food availability in their rural areas, particularly for the improvement of food and nutrition security.
Gezira Young People Agribusiness Trust was formed in 2012 by 135 South Sudanese youth who come from different ethnic backgrounds to engage in the business of fruit juice and smoothie blending. The primary goals of the organization are to create jobs to enable youth to become self-reliant, support food security in their community, and provide market linkages to fresh fruit farmers. GYPAT operates a juice shop in Juba and sources fresh fruit from farmers in surrounding rural areas. GYPAT has the opportunity to expand its juice business in Juba and thus increase farmer incomes as well but constrained by a lack of capacity in business and financial management, limited production capacity and inadequate funds to purchase relevant equipment and sufficient quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables for processing into juice and smoothies. GYPAT was awarded their grant of $99,729.00 by the USADF in 2018
Foundation for Youth Initiative would provide technical assistance on numerous topics including ADF Required Financial and Participatory M&E; Financial Management and Entrepreneurship; Governance and Management; Agronomy; Revolving Fund Management; Policies and Procedures Manual Development; Business Plan Development and Project Evaluation.
This project is expected to improve GYPAT’s prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that deems suitable for funding by a donor or other financial institutions. It is also expected to improve GYPAT’’s financial management, business management capacity, technical and operational capacity, marketing capacity, help increase farmers’ incomes, increased agricultural investments, and supporting young farmers- both members and non-members.
KEDA member cleaning the raw peanuts before processing in to paste
Koyle East Development Association (KEDA) was awarded $98,707.00 in 2017 by the USADF for its peanut paste capacity building project. The project funds will be used to improve the business and financial management of KEDA through a series of training and of a management team. The funds will also build its technical capacity by expanding and improving its peanut paste operations through training in sustainable agriculture and peanut production, quality control and food safety, and through its purchase of a paste-pressing machine to process the natural groundnut into a paste to supply to the market within Juba. The groups also have commercialized their product by obtaining packaging, labels, and approval from the Food Authority for commercial distribution in supermarkets- competing with imported products. The project is located in Koyle Community Center, Koyle East, Rejaf County- Central Equatoria.
Awarded their grant from the USADF in 2018. Compass Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (CMCS) is using the project funds will be used to improve the business and financial management of Compass and the farmer groups, increase the vegetable production of the farmer groups through training, purchase improved seeds, seedlings, and garden tools, installing drip irrigation and hiring an agricultural extension officer. The Compass group supports 80 farmers located in Gondokoro Island in Juba County and Terekeka County, Central Equatoria State. The group processes the raw materials into sesame cooking oil and sesame paste which they supply to multiple markets within Terekeka and expanded their sales market into the Capital City Juba.
With grant funds from USADF, Foundation for Youth Initiative has supported APP’s Amimbaru Peanut Paste Capacity Building Project that invested on agro-processing of peanut paste to improve the standard of living of low-income agricultural producers in Loa Pageri Administrative Area in Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan. The grant was used to facilitate peanut paste production, market linkages for peanut sales by the farmers, awareness creation about new agricultural technologies, capacity building for group members, micro-credit revolving loans for women and youth empowerment for poverty, hunger and illiteracy reduction.
Foundation for Youth Initiative has provided demand-driven training and technical assistance on numerous topics including Enterprise Development and Marketing; Peanut Paste Production, Quality Control and Food Safety; Sustainable agriculture and peanut production: the best agricultural Practices; Governance and Systems Development; Financial Management Systems Development; Administrative and Operational Systems Development, Brand Development and Marketing Plan and 5-year Business Plan Development.
Now, APP has improved its prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that deems suitable for funding by a donor or other financial institutions, improved financial management, improved business management capacity, improved technical and operational capacity and improved marketing capacity. It also helped increase farmers’ income by almost $500,000, increased agricultural investments by $700,000, and supported 1,009 farmers both members and non-members.
Funded by the USADF in 2015 for their Maize Milling Capacity Building Project then qualified for another expansion grant for the production of Maize flour in 2018 with this Maize Milling Production Expansion Project. The project funds will be used to build Kanybek’s capacity in business and financial management. The funds will also build technical capacity by providing training in sustainable agriculture and establishing a small milling facility to process raw maize into maize flour while supporting 60 smallholder farmers.
Funded by USADF in 2015, Foundation for Youth Initiative supported Kanybek General Trading and Investment Company Ltd on its Kanybek Maize Milling Capacity Building Project. The goal of the project was to improve the standard of living of 300-low-income maize-growers in Mugali, Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan. The purpose of the project was to improve Kanybek’s prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that deems suitable for funding by a donor or financial institution, improved financial management capacity, management capacity and technical capacity evidenced by Kanybek’s ability to produce milled maize flour for sale to the market in a financially sustainable way.
Foundation for Youth Initiative has provided demand-driven training and technical assistance on numerous topics including Enterprise Development And Marketing, Food Quality Control And Safety, Sustainable Agriculture And Maize Production, Agricultural Best Practices, Governance and Systems Development, Financial Management Systems Development, Administrative, and Operational Systems Development, Business Plan Development and Market Brand and Plan. Now in its second year, Kanybek has helped to increase farm income by almost $500,000, increased agricultural investments by $1 million, supporting 3,039 farmers both members and non-members.
With grant assistance from USADF in 2015, Foundation for Youth Initiative supported Kajo Keji Lulu Works Multipurpose Cooperative Society on its Kajo Keji Shea Nut Butter Oil Capacity Building Project. The project developed LWMCS’s operational capacity in financial and business management and improve its production capacity by establishing a Shea nut purchase fund and purchasing an oil expeller and related equipment to produce grade A Shea butter products for export in the East Africa Region. The goal of the project was to improve the standard of living of LWMCS members in Kajo Keji County of Central Equatoria State in South Sudan. The Project was aimed to improve LWMCS’s prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that USADF deems suitable for funding by a donor or other financial institutions, improved financial management, improved business management capacity, improved technical and operational capacity and improved marketing capacity.
Foundation for Youth Initiative has provided demand-driven training and technical assistance on numerous topics including Enterprise Development and Marketing, Grinding Machines Operations, Safety, Oil processing, and Shea nut Butter Oil Quality Control; Sustainable Lulu Nut Production; Agricultural Best Practices; Governance and Systems Development; Financial Management Systems Development; Administrative and Operational Systems Development, Brand Development and Marketing Plan and 5-year Business Plan Development. Now in its second year, LWMCS has helped to increase farm income by almost $70,000, increased agricultural investments by $80,000, and supported 2,009 farmers both members and non-members in Kajo Keji in South Sudan.
With their grant from the USADF, Foundation for Youth Initiative has supported Gum Enterprise’s Torit Gum Arabic Capacity Building Project that invested on agro-processing of Gum Arabic. The goal of the project was to improve the standard of living of 300-low-income gum Arabic producers in Eastern Equatoria State of South Sudan with the purpose to improve GE’s prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of comprehensive five-year business, improved financial management, improved good governance and improved technical operational capacity.
Foundation for Youth Initiative has provided technical assistance on numerous topics including Enterprise Development and Marketing; Quality Control and Gum Harvesting; Sustainable Agriculture and Gum Production; Silvicultural Best Practices; Governance Training and Systems Development; Financial Management Systems Development; Administrative and Operational Systems Development; Brand Development and Marketing Plan and 5-Year Business Plan Development.
Now, Gum Enterprises has improved its prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that deems suitable for funding by a donor or other financial institutions, improved financial management, improved business management capacity, improved technical and operational capacity and improved marketing capacity. It also helped increase farmers’ income by almost $720,000, increased agricultural investments by $400,000, and supported 800 farmers both members and non-members.
With the grant support from USADF in 2017, Foundation for Youth Initiative supported Mangalla Women Development Association’s Peanut Paste Capacity Building Project at Dumadang Village in Mangalla of Central Equatoria State. The goal of the project was to improve the standard of living of 500-low-income peanut producers and also to improve MWDA’s prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that deems suitable for funding by a donor or financial institution.
Foundation for Youth Initiative has provided training and technical assistance on numerous topics including Business and Entrepreneurship Training; Financial Management and Governance Training; Modern Peanut Paste Processing and Industry Best Practices Training; Policy and Procedures Manual Development and Business Plan Development. The project will improve MWDA’s prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that deems suitable for funding by a donor or other financial institutions. It is also expected to improve its financial management, business management capacity, technical and operational capacity, marketing capacity, help increase farmers’ incomes, increased agricultural investments and supported young farmers both members and non-members
Funded by USADF in 2017, Foundation for Youth Initiative supported Kuru-ko Wate’s on its Commercial Vegetable Capacity Building Project. The Project invested in irrigation agriculture, which involves the production of jute, kale, cabbage, tomatoes, okra, pepper, amaranthus, pumpkin, and watermelon. The goal of the project was to improve the standard of living of 450-low-income fresh vegetable producers within and around Juba in Central Equatoria State of South Sudan. It also aimed to improve the cooperative’s prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that USADF deems suitable for funding by a donor of financial institutions.
Foundation for Youth Initiative would provide demand-driven training and technical assistance on numerous topics including USADF Required Financial and Participatory M&E, Financial Management and Entrepreneurship , Governance and Management, Agronomy, Revolving Fund Management, Policies and Procedures Manual Development, Business Plan Development; Project Evaluation. It is expected that the Project will improve KKSH’s prospects for sustained expansion as indicated by the development of a comprehensive five-year business plan that deems suitable for funding by a donor or other financial institutions. It is also expected to improve its financial management, business management capacity, technical and operational capacity, marketing capacity, help increase farmers’ incomes, increased agricultural investments, and supported young farmers both members and non-members.
