 |
| |
| Fast Facts: |
| • Project
Document |
| Location: |
Eastern
Sudan |
| Duration: |
2005-
March 2009 |
| Focus
area: |
Democratic
Governance |
| Donors: |
Government
of Netherlands & Government
of Demark |
| Total
Funds Available: |
US$
7 million |
| Partners: |
Red
Sea State Ministry of Finance
and Economy, Directorate of Planning
and International Cooperation |
| Delivery
for 2007:
|
US
$ 1,033,392.08
|
| Contact
person in UNDP: |
Samia
Elnager, Programme Officer samia.elnager@undp.org |
|
Background
Eastern Sudan, a vast sun-blasted land
of some 300,000 square kilometers, is
home to an estimated three to four million
of Sudan’s poorest people. The
region is made up of three states: Red
Sea, Gadaref and Kassala. In each of
these states the living conditions are
so harsh that the local population has
been facing acute poverty, persistent
drought and famine, a lack of adequate
access to healthcare and education,
high levels of unemployment, in addition
to land degradation and shrinking pasture
areas, for a very long time.
According to several sources, the Red
Sea State has one of the lowest socio-economic
indicators in the entire country. The
state is one of the most highly populated
in the country with 725,000 people residing
in it. Nearly half of the state’s
population lives in Port Sudan city
making the urban unemployment rate exceptionally
high. In 2005, the under-five mortality
rate was almost double the national
average. In addition, one-in-three children
and almost a quarter of the women are
malnourished. Only one-in-three households
has access to drinking water; a rate
much lower than Darfur’s. Illiteracy
is particularly high, especially in
the rural areas.
It is such poverty, coupled with successive
government policies, which has undermined
the livelihoods of the people in the
state. This state of affairs led to
a low-intensity conflict which continued
for eleven years and was ultimately
settled with the signing of the Eastern
Sudan Peace Agreement (ESPA), in October
2006, between the Government of Sudan
and the Eastern Front. The Agreement
led to the establishment of a three-year
Development Fund for the region, with
a total of US$600 million. While the
signing of the Peace Agreement does
offer an opportunity to tackle severe
poverty in the Red Sea State, several
challenges still need to be addressed.
In 2005, in an attempt to contribute
to alleviating poverty in this State,
with the initial support of the Government
of Netherlands and later the Government
of Denmark, UNDP launched the Poverty
Alleviation-oriented Governance in the
Red Sea State project. To address the
development priorities in the State,
this project was developed in consultation
with the state Ministry of Finance and
National Economy (MoFNE), local authorities,
relevant government bodies, and civil
society organizations in the State.
Objectives
The project’s main objective is
to create an institutional, social and
economic environment conducive to poverty
reduction in the Red Sea State over
a period of four years, through innovative
pilot actions and constructive partnerships.
To this end, the project’s specific
objectives are:
• To strengthen
the capacity of the State administration
at all levels in designing and implementing
pro-poor strategies and ensuring sound
development resources management.
• To enable the private sector,
civil society, grassroots organizations
and the poor to play a proactive role
in the development process.
•
To improve the capacity of the state
in performing its overall role of participatory
policy-making, regulation and coordination
and in managing pro-poor/development
policies.
• To strengthen
the capacity of local government for
poverty reduction and good governance.
• To improve the capacity of civil
society organizations, communities (women
and men) and the private sector to play
a pivotal role in poverty reduction,
participatory development and peace-building.
Snapshots of the project's major achievements
Poverty-reduction initiatives addressing
livelihood needs are a strategic entry
point for community mobilization, for
sustainable peace. The following are
some preliminary results for pilot initiatives:
• In partnership
with the authorities of several localities,
assessed the needs of certain communities,
and helped them set their development
priorities, and establish their own
Village Development Committees.
• Trained 450 men and women in
the State on planning business/investments,
management of small-scale enterprises,
revolving funds management, bookkeeping,
accounting and food processing
•
Supported 150 families of the above
trainees in the Hamisat, Oker, Gabiet,
Aatit, in Sinkat and Haya Localities
by providing them with agricultural
seeds, tools, agriculture extension
services for horticultural production,
which resulted in an increase in their
incomes.
• According
to the Project Coordinator Monitoring
reports, the project has contributed
to a 62% increase in the number of farmers
in traditional production in Sinkat
Locality since 2005. Now 4,500 families
in rain-fed areas in 5 localities have
access to agricultural seeds, tools,
agriculture extension services and 50%
have been able to secure the basic subsistence
crop sorghum, for the whole year.
•Provided 135 internally displaced
families in Dordeib, Haya, Agamet, Mestahleal
with goats and/or cows enabling the
production of milk and other dairy products
for either personal consumption or sale.
•Trained 40 fishermen on
improved fishing techniques, and provided
53 families from Haliab and Suakin Locality
with boat equipment, and marketing information,
resulting in a 70% increase in their
income.
•Provided Beja IDPs,
mainly women in rural and urban areas,
with literacy classes, and tools for
subsistence and/or handicraft production.
As a result, an IDPS women’s group
established a shop in Kilo Talata village
in Haya Locality and they were able
to sustain the shop.
• To
address the unemployment of youth the
project in partnership with state authorities,
trained 100 young men and women on mechanics,
electronics, driving, carpentry and
welding, 50% of whom have since secured
jobs.
•In addition, trained 150 male
and female graduates, and members of
the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)
on the establishment and management
of small-scale enterprises to ensure
the eligibility of participants when
applying for state grants for small-scale
enterprises. All graduates of the training
received grants from the State Government.
•To start the capacity building
process for State for planning and managing
resources, oriented approximately 70
government officials on strategic planning,
performance budgeting and the consultation
process for strategic planning. In addition
a visit to Yemen is arranged and funded
for 10 community leaders and state and
localities’ officials, to learn
more about the Local Development Fund
mechanisms and resource mobilization
and management.
• The State capacity building
for planning component of the Project
was revised in 2006 and the activities
redesigned with the technical and financial
assistance from the Government of Denmark.
• Organised qreview workshop,
attracting 136 state officials responsible
for planning and budgeting.
• Submitted an action plan for
reforms in budget process to the Red
Sea State Government for discussion
and approval.
|
