Original Partner Description

In pursuance of the principle of south-south partnership, BRAC was registered as an NGO in southern Sudan in November 2006 and begun development activities from January 2007. The organization has already started Microfinance, IGVGDP (Income Generation for Vulnerable Group Development Program) and Health programs in the country.

Microfinance:

BRAC Southern Sudan microfinance is in its nascent stage with a network of six branches in the Juba area. However, it has already mobilized 4,000 poor women into 220 groups and disbursed loans to over 3,000 women borrowers with a cumulative disbursement close to $0.8 million. The initial experiences in Southern Sudan suggest that microfinance opportunities and needs are substantial. Microfinance can play a powerful role in building sustainable peace and stability in Southern Sudan by supporting self-employment in the informal economy which supports the majority of the poor.

Program Objectives:

The overall objective of the program is to significantly contribute to the reduction of poverty, create employment opportunities and enhance the rural incomes of the rural poor.
The immediate objectives are:

• To increase access to credit for poor households.
• To strengthen the institutional structures at all levels for an efficient and effective management of the credit system.
  
  BRAC Southern Sudan currently operates a network of 6 Branches of microfinance in and around Juba and, by December 2007, the program had the underlined performance;
  
  • No. of Branch offices: 6
  • No of Groups formed: 221
  • No. of Members: 4,772
  • Savings: US $81,806
  • Loan Disbursement: US $810,100
  • No of borrowers: 3,455
  • Repayment: US $417,972
  • Loans outstanding: US $554,148
  
  The recovery rate is 100%
  
  The Microfinance Program targets the poor, particularly women, and the program is due to expand to other states of southern Sudan in 2008.
  
  BRAC Southern Sudan Health Program:
  
  The prime objective of BRAC Health program in southern Sudan is to reduce the mortality and morbidity rates under-5 year children and woman of child bearing age. The program also emphasizes prevention from death from some communicable diseases like Malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS and provides technical support to the community for access to safe drinking water and to ensure clean, disease free hygienic environment. Immunisation against eight lethal, but preventable, diseases for infants and tetanus for woman of reproductive period is another field where BRAC Health Program intends to provide its relentless efforts in the form of motivating and mobilizing the society. The program will raise consciousness among people against the hazards of population explosion through counseling about family planning measures, embracing of family planning methods and referral to Government and clinic facilities for surgical sterilization.
  
  In view of the above, BRAC Health Program in southern Sudan, has recruited necessary staff for existing six branch offices in and around Juba.
  
  Income Generation for Vulnerable Group Development Program.(IGVGDP)
  
  This project intends to target households headed by widows and are taking care of children/ Orphans.
  
  There are no statistics on the number of widows in southern Sudan but it is worth noting that, due to civil war, there are huge numbers of widows in Southern Sudan with most of them coming to settle down in and around Juba to find a living. They lack skills in income earning activities, confidence, capital and opportunities to get access to financial institutions for borrowing. These widows face tremendous pressures in maintaining families and the children with no daily meals and limited access to schools and health care. Moreover, it is not possible for them to get access to land for cultivation due to the scarcity of capital in and around Juba. BRAC southern Sudan will initially focus on 500 widows, identifying and organizing them, finding out their interests and prior experiences in income earning activities, providing them necessary trainings, supplying inputs, following up the progress of activities and providing them access to savings and credit facilities from BRAC micro finance program. BRAC Southern Sudan is partnering with CGAP and WFP to implement this program in Central Equatoria and will expand to other states if the program succeeds.
  
  Program expansion in southern Sudan:
  
  BRAC started expanding micro finance program in Western Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria and Lakes states and plans to set up new branch offices in Warab, Jonglie and Upper Nile states within 2008. The organization also plans to implement a comprehensive education program to provide training on mathematics and science teaching to the government and non government primary and secondary school teachers, running non formal education program for out of school children (especially girls), pre primary education for the children of 5 to 6 years old before entering in to formal education, and adolescent development programs to equip adolescent girls with life skills knowledge and income earning skills. BRAC Southern Sudan is to set up a training center in Juba which will provide capacity building services not only to BRAC staff but will serve other NGO’s and government. BRAC Southern Sudan is also designing programs on agriculture and live stock development.
  
  Staff position:
  The current staff position of BRAC Southern Sudan is 41, out of them 3 are from Bangladesh, rest are recruited locally. The national staffs undergo trainings from BRAC before taking up responsibilities.