This World Water Day (March 22) saw 300 households in southern Sudan have access to clean water thanks to Lloyd’s Charities Trust, the grant making charity for the Lloyd’s market.
The Trust works with and supports three partner charities over a three year period and since October 2007 it has supported FARM-Africa, an international charity which has been working in Africa since 1985.
Donating £50,000 per year, Lloyd’s Charities Trust will help to provide communities in southern Sudan with a supply of seeds for farming, training for farmers, the relevant tools needed, goat restocking and access to clean, safe drinking water.
Over the last six months, FARM-Africa has distributed seeds and tools to a total of 1,434 households. It has also trained and equipped blacksmiths to produce tools locally as well as planting 981 mango, orange and guava trees.
Money has also been spent on more than 100 pregnant goats in order to provide households with a restock, but the most significant investment to date has been creating a way for families to be able to access clean water.
Four boreholes have been drilled for FARM-Africa, of which two are now fully operational serving up to 300 households as well as supporting livestock, crops and reducing the time spent travelling to water points. There are now 18 trained pump mechanics to make sure that the boreholes can be maintained and remain fully operational. They also have a supply of tools and spare parts.
Monydeng Reec Monydeng, a farmer from Wathalel village, is one of many whose life has been changed by the project. He said: “When I heard about the group and FARM-Africa training, I looked for the training and the demonstration sites. I attended the training and FARM-Africa gave me some tomatoes, okra, eggplant, and onion seeds. I planted the seeds immediately after I cleared the land. It took me about a week to clear and prepare it for planting. After a month, I transplanted my seedlings to the field. FARM-Africa has always given me all the advice I needed. Now I irrigate my farm easily using the pump, I can preserve my seeds for next year.
“I am harvesting 55 tomatoes daily and sell four for two Sudanese Pounds ($1) Overall, I now earn twenty-seven Sudanese Pounds every day. I am very happy and you can now see that all my friends are joining me and this farm will be so big and we will not rest till we feed our people. I am now working for myself and I am feeding my family through this farm and they are helping me. I’d like to thank FARM-Africa for supporting me.”
