By: Abdulrazak Ibrahim (PhD), TAAT-CDTO Coordinator, FARA
May 10, 2024: Juba, South Sudan:
In the vibrant city of Juba, at the Landmark Hotel, an auspicious gathering unfolded—a Three-Day Training of Trainers Workshop aimed at catalysing sorghum production through establishing Innovation Platforms (IPs), a multi-stakeholder approach to scaling agricultural technologies across South Sudan.
This pivotal event, from May 7 to 9, 2024, was not merely a workshop; it symbolised a collective step towards realising the region’s ambitious vision of agricultural transformation.
With funding and commitment by the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa initiative, through its Transition Support Facility (TSF) and the Africa Emergency Food Production Facility (AEPF), South Sudan’s agricultural landscape brimmed with promise and possibility.
The atmosphere crackled with enthusiasm as participants, predominantly researchers, seed specialists, private sector representatives, women and youth groups, and government officials—delved into the teachings of the multistakeholder Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program. TAAT’s ecosystem, comprising various value chain actors and stakeholders, emerged as a guiding force, empowering local expertise and fostering sustainable agricultural solutions tailored to South Sudan’s unique challenges.
The workshop sought to also establish at least ten innovation platforms across South Sudan. Envisioned as collaborative hubs, these multi-stakeholder platforms would serve as nuclei for scaling technologies and innovations in sorghum production and beyond. They would facilitate knowledge co-creation and exchange, resource sharing, and coordinated efforts among diverse stakeholders, paving the way for improved decision making at all levels within the value chain resulting in a holistic agricultural development.
Through practical and interactive sessions, participants exchanged ideas, experiences, and aspirations. They also discussed the strategies of Feed Africa, the dynamic interventions of TAAT, and the pivotal role of TSF and AEPF spurred new perspectives, all aimed at ensuring that they are adapted within the local context.
The culmination of the workshop heralded a new phase in South Sudan’s agricultural landscape. Equipped as trainers, participants dispersed to train and empower more partners within the country—a ripple effect of knowledge and innovation catalyzed by the workshop. Armed with newfound insights and strategies, they were poised to drive change at the grassroots level, inspiring communities to embrace modern agricultural practices and maximize productivity.
TAAT Coordinator Dr. Abdulrazak Ibrahim with Gender, Youth and Agribusiness expert Karen Musikoyo Munoko.
In the aftermath, reflections soared—a vision unified by the principles of Feed Africa, powered by the tools of TAAT, and supported by the transformative capabilities of TSF and AEPF. The journey ahead held the promise of vibrant innovation platforms sprouting across the nation, each a testament to the collaborative spirit driving South Sudan’s agricultural transformation.
The story of the Three-Day Training of Trainers Workshop was just the beginning—a prologue to a narrative of resilience, progress, and collective prosperity in sorghum and beyond. It was a story of hope cultivated through unity, innovation, and unwavering dedication to feed Africa and nourish its people.
For all enthusiasts of the Sorghum value chain, please register and contribute through the Sorghum Community of Practice at https://faraafrica.community/taat_cdto/taat_sorghum-millet
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