New beginnings SNV in South Sudan “Welcome to Africa’s Youngest Nation” a towering billboard reads as the visitor leaves South Sudan’s Juba Airport. It is a clear sign of pride - a testament to the achievements of the South Sudanese people and their decades of struggle for self determination. But the world’s newest sovereign state is also one of its most fragile. With 17 ethnic groups vying for land, influence and resources and ongoing territorial disputes with its northern neighbour, the threat of renewed conflict is never far away. Here, more than 50% of the country’s 12 million people struggle to survive on less than US$0.25 a day. More than 4.3 million people in South Sudan required food assistance in 2010 – 1.5 million of them children suffering from severe malnutrition. From food security to water supply, sanitation, energy and infrastructure creation – while the people of South Sudan have embraced the task of nation-building wholeheartedly since gaining independence in 2011, the challenges facing them are formidable. South Sudan’s declaration of independence in 2011 and its official recognition by the UN and the international community was a significant historical milestone and the declaration of independence has further heightened the development expectations of 18 CONNECT #1 JULY 2012 the South Sudanese people, who now look to their new government to deliver the improved livelihoods, public infrastructure and services needed by the young nation. With a young, dynamic population (44% of South Sudanese are under 14) and a wealth of natural resources – from oil to iron and hardwood to hydropower – the country has all the fundamentals for growth and development. However, social, economic and political hurdles remain amidst the opportunities and unlocking the nation’s huge economic potential and delivering on the peace dividend is intrinsically linked to tackling these challenges. SNV started work in South Sudan in 2005, after the signing of the country’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended two decades of civil war. From the outset, devolution of government functions to the ten States and the subsidiary Counties and Payams (districts) was supported by the leading party (SPLM). Hence, the pace of development could only be fast as the capacities, resources and leadership at the local level would allow. Recognising this, SNV made it its core business to target its interventions at this level – first in the Kapoeta South and North counties of Eastern Equatoria state and now reaching some 16 counties across five states – identifying and addressing the capacity challenges at the local government level in the areas of Agriculture and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene. Agriculture constitutes the main livelihood strategy of South Sudan’s rural poor and throughout the seven years SNV has been working in the country, Pagina 17
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