Supporting Women Farmers in Sudan

"I feel blessed. These goats have improved the situation for me and my son."

Muna Abu Jabar, 43, lives with her nine year old son, her elder brother and three other families in Dilaima village, 15kms north of Muglad. She moved here after her husband was killed in the war, many years ago.

The land that Muna farms was submerged during flooding over the last two years which had an adverse effect on the availability of food in the area. The maize and okra which Muna cultivated was very vulnerable to the floods.

Muna was nominated by her neighbours as one of fifty women to receive two breeding goats, as part of Concern’s intervention, funded by Irish Aid,  which provides small animals to extremely poor female headed households.   Since receiving the two goats, they have already produced two offspring, one male and one female.

Each morning Muna wakes up early to milk the two goats. She then walks for nearly an hour to the Muglad market where she sells one litre of milk for the equivalent of $0.70. She keeps one litre to feed her son and herself in the evenings.

This programme is rooted in the recognition that owning some livestock can make a difference in the lives of poor female farmers. 

Small animals such as goats and sheep are traditionally owned by women in South Kordofan and are an important source of food and income for women and their families. Small animals are increasingly important as grazing routes for larger animals like cattle have been limited due to conflict in the region.

When she spoke to us, Muna was delighted and said, “I feel blessed. These goats have improved the situation for me and my son. I now have some extra income to add to the small farming that I do, and we are able to sustain ourselves.”