Women peanut butter production group shop constructed, equipped and handed over to the group in Maper Market, Aweil Town, 24th February 2023.
Community Initiative for Partnership and Development (CIPAD) is implementing Peace and Community Cohesion Project II (PaCC II) in Partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding from the Government of Sweden. CIPAD implements project activities in Aweil East, Center and South Counties of Northern Bahr el Ghazal (NBeG) State. The Peace and Community Cohesion (PaCC II) project focuses on providing support to communities to reduce violence by strengthening local peace structures; enhance women & youth (trauma survivors) economic empowerment for peace; and rebuilding broken community relations to foster social cohesion. The trauma can be a trauma from the action of conflict, GBV, war, economic socks, social norms application, exploitation, violence, abuse, social discrimination etc.
In Maper Market of Aweil Municipal Council, Community Initiative for Partnership and Development (CIPAD) with technical and financial support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) started supporting a women group (30 members of only women) of trauma survivors identified by Groups of Community Volunteer Counselors (GCVC) of Nyalath and Rum-anguoth in 2019 to run groundnut paste production as part of women economic empowerment for peace activity with the aim of empowering these 30 trauma survivors (all women) to increase their income level to be able meet some of their basic needs. They were supplied with three (3) groundnut paste production machines, two generators, groundnuts; paste keeping plastic containers; and trained them on basic business skills and financial literacy. CIPAD team has also helped the group to develop a group constitution as a group governing document.
In the process of running their business, the group reported a challenge of shop renting. According to Chairperson of the group, Mrs. Anguech Akot, the group failed to concentrate in one shop because of renting from shop to shop, and as such, they continue to miss their regular customers. They reported the challenge to CIPAD which later shared the challenge with UNDP.
As part of the continued support, UNDP agreed to support the construction of the shop provide that the group has a commercial plot. The group successfully purchase the shop in Maper Market from their business income.
Therefore, Community Initiative for Partnership and Development (CIPAD) as part of its project activities financed by UNDP has:
- Constructed the shop in Maper Market on group identified land whose documents are verified and confirmed as a group land, not an individual land;
- Provided additional one new groundnut paste production machine with generator;
- Provided additional ten (10) sacks of groundnuts; and
- Provided security locks for locking the shop
CIPAD is today, 24th of February 2023 handing-over the shop to the group with the above items to start operationalize the shop in order to increase their income generating capacity to reinforce their social integration as trauma survivors in their respective communities.
Anguech Akot Wek, the Chairperson of Women Peanut Paste Production Group appreciated UNDP and its Donor (Government of Sweden) for unwavering additional support. We are very much happy. Handing over event was attended by 30 women (Direct Beneficiaries), 5 government officials who came from Ministry of Peacebuilding; Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare; Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture; and Ministry of Local Government. It was also attended by Northern Bahr El Ghazal State UNDP Peace and Community Cohesion Project Officer.
