In Wau, South Sudan, women farmers are the backbone of their community, using their knowledge and skills to feed their families. Rebecca, who is part of the community savings group, was able to take out a loan to start her baked goods business.
From Fields to Markets: Women Lead in Wau
Before the sun rises over the northwestern county of Wau in South Sudan, many homes are already awake. In the quiet darkness of early morning, women move through the first tasks of the day. Some tend to pots over open flames, preparing breakfast for their families, while others gather tools and make their way toward the fields. Gradually, the stillness of dawn gives way to the sounds of daily life as kitchens, farms and local markets begin to stir with activity.
In Wau, women shoulder responsibilities that extend far beyond cooking meals or tending crops. They help sustain household incomes, cultivate food supplies and keep local markets functioning. In many ways, they form the backbone of their community, supporting families while contributing to the wider local economy.
Over the past three years, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, has worked with thousands of women farmers and small business owners in Wau. The initiative has focused on building skills in climate-smart agriculture, improving household nutrition and strengthening financial inclusion. Through training, agricultural support and access to savings networks, the programme has helped many women strengthen their livelihoods and create new economic opportunities.
Among the participants are three women—Rebecca, Grace and Viola—whose experiences illustrate how access to knowledge, training and modest financial support can reshape lives while improving food security in the community.
Rebecca Adhel, 34, heads a multigenerational household of sixteen people. For many years, she relied mainly on sorghum farming to meet the family’s basic needs. Although the crop provided food and some income, she had long dreamed of starting a bakery business. Without savings or access to capital, that ambition had remained out of reach.
Four years ago, Rebecca joined a Women’s Economic Empowerment group established by FAO. Through the group, women with entrepreneurial ambitions received training designed to help them start and manage small businesses. Participants learned practical skills such as budgeting, marketing and record-keeping, along with social and leadership skills, including team building, decision-making, negotiation and leadership abilities considered essential for running a business successfully.
A key part of the initiative was the establishment of a Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), a community-based savings group in which members pool their contributions into a shared fund. From this collective savings pool, loans can be issued to members—and sometimes even to non-members—to cover urgent expenses or provide capital for small businesses.
Through the VSLA, Rebecca was able to take out a loan that finally allowed her to launch her bakery venture. She began producing and selling freshly baked bread and cakes, gradually building a small but steady source of income. The earnings from the business now supplement what she gains from farming, helping her support her large household while steadily repaying the loan she took to start the enterprise.
Rebecca hopes her business will continue to grow. “I want to become one of the greatest businesswomen in Agok,” she says, expressing the ambition not only to expand her enterprise but also to inspire others in the community to move beyond subsistence activities and explore larger business opportunities.
For Grace Ali Darfur, the turning point came through livestock. Grace leads a household of nine and previously depended largely on vegetable farming to sustain her family. In 2022, she joined the FAO-supported programme and received vegetable seeds, farming tools and training aimed at improving and diversifying her crop production.
However, the most significant change in her livelihood came when she received goats for rearing. As part of the initiative, FAO distributed small ruminants—including goats and sheep—to 2,100 women whose young children under the age of five were experiencing malnutrition. Livestock such as goats can help cushion farmers’ livelihoods during periods of crop failure while also providing milk that contributes to a more diverse and nutritious household diet.
For Grace, the impact was deeply personal. Her daughter had been suffering from malnutrition, and she was advised to supplement the child’s diet with goat’s milk. Over time, she began to notice a clear improvement in her daughter’s health.
“I feel so happy rearing livestock because they saved the life of my daughter,” Grace says. “Now my daughter is happy and healthy.”
Caring for the animals has since become an important part of her routine. While her children attend school, Grace tends to her goats using the livestock management practices she learned through training. Her growing experience has also turned her into a local resource for neighbours interested in livestock rearing. Many now seek her advice, and she encourages them to consider raising animals after witnessing how it can strengthen both livelihoods and nutrition within households.
For Viola Albino, farming has evolved into both a livelihood and a space for learning and exchange. The 32-year-old farmer is the primary breadwinner for her family of six. Before joining the FAO project, she was already involved in small-scale farming and agro-processing, but the programme introduced her to new agricultural techniques and nutrition practices.
With FAO’s support in 2022, Viola established a kitchen garden that has since become central to her farming and small business activities. She received seeds and tools and was trained in improved crop production methods. Her garden now produces a variety of crops, including okra, amaranth, sorghum, Jew’s mallow and cowpeas.
Alongside agricultural training, she also participated in cooking demonstrations designed to show how locally grown foods could be used to prepare high-energy, nutrient-rich meals for families. The combination of farming knowledge and nutrition education has helped her improve both the quality of food available at home and the income she can earn from selling surplus produce.
Today, the vegetables grown in her garden provide her family with a more diverse and nutritious diet. Any surplus is sold within the community, allowing neighbours to buy fresh vegetables locally rather than travelling long distances to reach larger markets.
Viola now looks forward to visiting her kitchen garden each day. The small plot has become more than just a source of food and income. It has gradually developed into a shared learning space where women gather to exchange skills, discuss farming practices and apply new agricultural techniques while cultivating their crops side by side.
Looking ahead, Viola hopes to expand production and become one of the major vegetable producers in her community.
Across Wau, women like Rebecca, Grace and Viola demonstrate how improved agricultural practices, small business development and better nutrition can reshape livelihoods. Through their farms, enterprises and knowledge sharing, they are not only supporting their families but also contributing to stronger food systems and healthier communities throughout the region.
Source: The FAO News And Media Office, Rome
– global bihari bureau
