Hand-over Ceremony of a Community Centre in Nyamini, Central Equatria State (CES), Southern Sudan

The ceremony will be attended by Undersecretary, Ministry of Cooperative and Rural Development (MCRD)/GOSS, Minister, MCRD/CES and representatives from the relevant organizations.

LIPS is a technical cooperation project supported by JICA. It is a 36 month project and initiated in February 2009. The overall goal of the project is to improve livelihood of the community people through the adaptation of “Livelihood Improvement Models” in and around Juba collaborating with Community Development Officers (CDOs) and Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs) of MCRD/CES and State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry/CES. The project aims to develop and establish basic conditions for extension of said models suitable for various communities in and around Juba.

Now LIPS has been learning through trial and error for more than 2 years focusing on motivating communities, discussing with communities, and working with communities through CDOs and AEOs. The project has produced tangible result in line with communities’ hope, not only infrastructure such as a school or boreholes but also bringing about change in attitude and consciousness of people in communities. People are encouraged enough to make best use of this community centre as learning center for children as well as adults in Nyamini.

MCRD/GoSS/CES and LIPS will continue to facilitate and encourage equitable and sustainable development of the rural population of Southern Sudan towards improved livelihoods through sensitization, mobilization, capacity building and direct involvement of the rural communities through this kind of centre with CDOs and AEOs.