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Empowering Rural Producers for Sustainable Agricultural Development in South Sudan

Deadline: 29-Jan-2026

The Rural Enterprises for Agricultural Development (READ) Programme strengthens rural households in South Sudan by enhancing food security, incomes, and resilience. It achieves this through cooperative strengthening, inclusive finance, gender-focused community engagement, and climate-resilient value chains, targeting over 27,500 households and 162,000 beneficiaries across six counties. The program integrates the GALS methodology to address gender and power imbalances while improving nutrition and climate adaptation outcomes.

Overview

The READ Programme supports rural households by providing tools, training, and financial access to enhance agriculture-based livelihoods. Its core objectives are to:

  • Strengthen Rural Producer Organizations (RPOs) and cooperatives

  • Formalize Agricultural Producer Groups (APGs)

  • Promote inclusive business models with active participation of women and youth

  • Support nutrient-rich, climate-resilient value chains

  • Enhance inclusive rural finance and financial literacy

  • Provide policy support for cooperatives, inclusive finance regulations, and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) capacity

Key Components

1. Organizational Strengthening

  • Strengthens cooperatives and producer organizations to operate efficiently

  • Trains 300 Trainers of Trainers and village champions to roll out the GALS methodology

  • Targets 7,500 beneficiaries directly through GALS community engagement

2. Financial Inclusion

  • Expands access to finance through:

    • Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs)

    • Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs)

    • Cooperative Bank of South Sudan and Credit Guarantee Fund

  • Combines financial literacy and business training to enhance sustainable financial management

3. Policy and Institutional Support

  • Advises on cooperative development policies

  • Supports inclusive finance regulations

  • Strengthens MAFS institutional capacity to sustain rural development initiatives

4. Gender, Nutrition, and Climate Integration

  • Implements GALS (Gender Action Learning System) to address gender and power imbalances

  • Integrates nutrition-sensitive and climate-resilient practices into local agriculture

  • Ensures inclusion targets of 50% women and 70% youth across project activities

Target Beneficiaries

  • 27,511 rural households

  • 162,315 individual beneficiaries

  • Operates across six counties in four states: Northern Bahr El Ghazel, Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, and Upper Nile

  • Engagement through cooperatives, APGs, VSLAs, and SACCOs

How the Programme Works

  1. Capacity Building: Train trainers and village champions in GALS methodology.

  2. Community Mobilization: Establish and strengthen RPOs, APGs, and VSLAs.

  3. Financial Access: Provide credit, savings schemes, and business training.

  4. Value Chain Support: Promote nutrient-rich, climate-resilient agricultural production.

  5. Policy Engagement: Support government agencies and institutions for sustainable rural development.

Why This Programme Matters

The READ Programme transforms rural livelihoods by combining financial inclusion, organizational strengthening, and gender-sensitive approaches. It equips communities to participate in sustainable agricultural value chains, adapt to climate change, improve nutrition outcomes, and empower women and youth in rural economies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who can benefit from READ? Rural households participating in cooperatives, APGs, VSLAs, and SACCOs in the six targeted counties.
How does the programme address gender? Through GALS methodology and inclusion targets ensuring 50% women participation.
What is the youth participation target? 70% of beneficiaries are youth.
Which states are covered? Northern Bahr El Ghazel, Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, and Upper Nile.
How are financial services provided? Via SACCOs, VSLAs, Cooperative Bank support, and a Credit Guarantee Fund.
How does the programme enhance climate resilience? By integrating climate-smart practices into agricultural value chains and training communities on adaptation strategies.
What methodology is used for empowerment? The GALS methodology addresses gender, power imbalances, nutrition, and climate adaptation.

Conclusion

The READ Programme strengthens rural South Sudanese households by building resilient, inclusive, and climate-adapted agricultural systems, fostering gender equality, youth engagement, and financial inclusion, while empowering communities to achieve long-term food security and economic resilience.

For more information, visit UNDP.