Building Trainers’ Capacity in South Sudan

Years of conflict and instability have made it difficult for South Sudan to develop the farming expertise it needs for a thriving agricultural sector. East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation has been playing a part in addressing this gap since 2021, when we held a training-of-trainers program in West Nile, Uganda, for agricultural specialists from universities in South Sudan and other countries.
Building on those connections, the EWS-KT Uganda team helped to establish two learning farms for vegetable cultivation in South Sudan: at the University of Juba in 2022 and at Dr. John Garang Memorial University of Science and Technology, located in Bor, in 2023. In addition to working directly with farmers to share improved vegetable farming techniques, our two vegetable farming experts in South Sudan are building the capacity of trainers.
Our training-of-trainers activities in South Sudan have recently received a boost from two partners: the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) ARFSA program and Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND).
Training Specialists Under the “Accelerating Food Systems Resilience in South Sudan” Project

The Accelerating Food Systems Resilience in South Sudan (AFSRiSS) project, which is co-funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and EWS-KT, focuses on increasing the knowledge and skills of trainers in the Bor and Jur River areas. This project, which runs from 2024 to 2026, is being implemented by EWS-KT in collaboration with ZOA Dorcas South Sudan, Wageningen University & Research, the University of Juba, and ISSD Uganda.
On 4 December 2024, EWS-KT held a training on climate-smart vegetable production techniques at Dr. John Garang University in Bor for a dozen agricultural extension specialists. Participants included four ZOA Dorcas staff, six FARE Cases facilitators, and two Bor County Agriculture Department staff.

The training covered seedling production techniques (including ground nurseries, leaf pots, and seedling trays), seed and variety selection, crop nutrition, and crop protection. Through this initiative, government and NGO trainers are gaining knowledge and practical experience that will increase their ability to provide guidance and advice to farmers in South Sudan.
The AFSRiSS project is also strengthening agro-input dealers’ technical knowledge and business skills, and EWS-KT is developing training materials and modules on good agricultural practices and climate-smart techniques for vegetable production.
Equipping Trainers as Part of the “Improving Food Security and Incomes” Project

The Improving Food Security and Incomes and Reducing Chronic Malnutrition in Rhino Refugee Settlement and Host Communities in West Nile, Uganda, and in South Sudan project, which is co-funded by AGFUND and EWS-KT, began in 2022 with farmer training activities in Uganda. In the scale-up phase of the project (2024-2025), EWS-KT is also training strategic stakeholders in South Sudan through multiday programs held at the University of Juba.
On 9 December 2024, EWS-KT began a 4-day training in general vegetable production for technical staff from Yei Crop Training Center, a vocational training center with certificate programs in agriculture. Yei River County is located in southwestern Central Equatorial State and is the home of most of the South Sudanese refugees EWS-KT works with in northwestern Uganda.

The training in Juba began with classroom sessions on choosing a crop and variety and preparing the land, followed by hands-on practice in field layout, raised bed construction, and organic mulch installation. Instruction was approximately 40% theory and 60% practical experience, and feedback from participants indicated that they appreciated the blended approach.
Among the many topics covered were seedling production using leaf pots—an environmentally responsible technique that reduces costs for farmers—and pest and disease management for different vegetable crops. During the practical session on pest and disease identification and management, the trainees were especially excited to spot pests and diseases that they had always seen but could not previously identify.

Through these initiatives, EWS-KT is building a bank of in-country vegetable farming knowledge and a network of trainers who can support smallholder farmers in South Sudan to grow more and higher-quality vegetables. The farmers’ success will not only improve their livelihoods but will contribute to better nutrition and food security for their communities and for consumers in other parts of the country.