Meet Our Members: Survivor Aid

Survivor Aid is a youth-led humanitarian NGO based in South Sudan, a Global Landscapes Forum GLFx chapter, and a member of CA4SH as of June 2023.

The main goals of Survivor Aid are:

• Scaling landscape restoration and afforestation

• Supporting smallholder farmer groups with agricultural inputs and implements

• Strengthening a network of community-led action on the ground through the Landscape Restoration and Management GLFx project in South Sudan

Context

The economy of South Sudan is based on agriculture, with many households relying on subsistence farming. The food deficit in South Sudan can be resolved by addressing structural contributing factors such as land degradation, overharvesting of native crops, vegetation, and deforestation. Survivor Aid is working with its partners to influence Government reform and strengthen policies that protect environments and landscapes.

Why Survivor Aid Joined CA4SH

• Survivor Aid was inspired by the importance of soil health management to enhance sustainable solutions to issues of soil degradation, climate, biodiversity, and food security.

• To be part and parcel of soil health monitoring, advocacy on policy reforms that protect and manage soil health globally, and addressing barriers that constrain farmers from adopting and scaling healthy soil practices.

• To strengthen the representation of South Sudan as a promotor of the global CIFOR-ICRAF soil health management agenda.

Activities on the Ground

Tree planting is an important part of the Survivor Aid approach because it increases tree cover on farm and community land. This leads to increased economic empowerment through timber and non-timber forest products, and drives agroforestry as a solution to mitigate the effects of climate change and drive sustainable environmental protection. Agriculture and the environment are approached as an interlinked system for enhanced resilience.

A demonstration nursery bed in South Sudan. (Credit: Survivor Aid)

With technical support from the GLFx Africa Chapters Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, Survivor Aid has provided agricultural implements to farmers’ groups to increase production and supply markets with vegetables. Group members report that they have benefited and promoted sustainable ecosystem services management to ensure food security and increase smallholder farmers’ coping strategies in the face of climate-related shocks.

Farmers tending to their crops using implements provided in partnership with GLFx Africa. (Credit: Survivor Aid)