South Sudan, World Bank boost cash transfers to vulnerable people in Western Equatoria

By Simon Deng

The government together with the World Bank on Thursday extended cash transfer and income generating livelihood opportunities to refugees and host communities in five counties.

The four-year project funded by the World Bank to a tune of 129 million U.S dollars aiming to strengthen the effectiveness of the national safety net delivery system is being implemented in 15 counties by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.

Aya Benjamin Warille, the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, said during the launch in Mundri West County of Western Equatoria State that the project also known as “Shabaka Meisha” targets 96,000 households.

“I am excited to inaugurate Shabaka Meisha in Mundri West. This project will have a strong gender focus to tackle gender gaps and enhance women’s empowerment by ensuring that 65 percent of the targeted project beneficiaries are women,” Warille said in a statement issued in Juba.

Warille noted that the project will also contribute to achieving gender parity by ensuring meaningful female participation in local community structures established by the project, promoting women’s voices and agency in the community.

The new five counties that will benefit from the project are Mundri West, Pochalla, Aweil West, Maban, and Pariang. The former 10 counties where the project has already been launched are Juba, Kapoeta East, Tonj South, Torit, Bor, Pibor, Gogrial West, Raja, Melut, and Yei.

“Shabaka Meisha will provide cash assistance to poor and vulnerable households to meet immediate consumption gaps and build resilience to withstand future shocks. Targeted beneficiaries will participate in climate-smart Labor-Intensive Public Works (LIPW) or in behavioral change communications training that aims to promote human capital development,” it said.

It noted that the project will also sensitize and train households on financial literacy, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and early childhood development (ECD) helping to improve their overall well-being.

It added that the government is being supported by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) to implement the project, adding that this will be the first government-led social safety net project in Mundri West County and Western Equatoria State.

“Activities under the complementary social measures targeted at mothers and female caregivers will also equip female beneficiaries with the necessary knowledge and capacity to make better decisions on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), nutrition practices, and early childhood support,” it disclosed.

The World Bank funded project was officially launched in August 2023 at the national level in Juba and builds on the successes and lessons of World Bank-supported predecessor projects, including the Safety Net and Skills Development Project (SNSDP) and South Sudan Safety Net Project (SSSNP).