LocationsWith training, tools and loans for women to run farms and businesses, we increase food supplies and the purchasing power of families to buy them
It's seems like a paradox. Almost 26 million people in Sudan are food insecure, but food is often available in markets across the country. So what's going wrong in those places?
In short, a series of disasters have caused prices to skyrocket and families can't afford to buy what's on offer. Farmers have been driven off their land, reducing the supply of goods. The collapse of the Sudanese pound has made it much more expensive for growers to buy fertiliser and for food transporters to buy fuel and parts. Those costs get passed on to the average villager, who can go hungry as a result.
Economic collapse is exacerbating what is already the world's largest humanitarian crisis. And now there's another kind of collapse making things worse: a precipitous decline in funding. Sudan's humanitarian appeal was already struggling to attract support and aid levels are likely to fall further, making it harder, if not impossible, to sustain delivery of emergency supplies.
The only way out is to empower Sudan's own people to grow, transport and buy the food they need. Even as the war continues, there are vast tracts of land where farming and small businesses can thrive. Our job is to help them do so, reducing aid dependency and creating a sustainable, more cost-effective response to food insecurity.
Part of this response is to support women across Kessala, Gedaref and River Nile to start kitchen gardens, open small businesses and raise funds for new ventures. We can do this thanks to funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and support from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Buthaina's story
“Selling my crops in the market brings me joy. It’s not just about the profit—it’s about seeing the impact of my work.”
Onions, tomatoes and black and green chilli. All for sale. All affordable. And all available in villages across Sudan’s River Nile state, thanks to the project.
Here’s how it works: UNDP provides seeds and training to help women set up kitchen gardens. They grow food for their own families and sell what they don’t need to turn a profit, that can be used for medicine, schoolbooks and other essentials.
One of the thousands of woman involved is Buthaina. Always passionate about farming, the project has helped her turn that passion into profit by growing new crops on her existing land. Every ten days, she brings fresh produce to the local market, where she not only earns an income but also takes pride in contributing to the community’s food supply.
“Selling my crops in the market brings me joy,” says Buthaina. “It’s not just about the profit—it’s about seeing the impact of my work. My neighbors also benefit because they can buy affordable fresh vegetables directly from me without having to travel far away.”
Buthaina’s success is tangible – it can be seen growing in the ground and arranged on wooden stalls and handled by buyers. It can even be counted in the 300,000 Sudanese pounds (about US$500) that Buthaina brings home every month. But the impact extends beyond numbers because Buthaina’s success has reshaped conversations in her neighborhood.
"Now, when we get together, we talk about our farms – what we planted, how much we sold, and what new crops we want to grow,” she explains. “It has created a sense of shared progress."
For Burthaina, it‘s a family business. Her mother grows the same crops on a smaller plot of land and her husband works in the market and operates a traditional donkey cart, which can help take goods out for sale. "We both contribute to the household in different ways and my farming has become an essential part of our family’s well-being,” she says.
With each profit, Burthaina reinvests in her farm, expanding her production and improving her yield, so her business grows along with the onions, tomatoes and chillis.
Mariam's Story
“If we need anything, the fund supports us.”
Sudan’s war brought a cruel end to student life for 24-year-old Mariam, but she refused to let circumstances define her future.
“I grew up in a farming village,” she says. “So when my studies stopped because of the war, I didn't want to do nothing. I wanted to farm. I just didn't have the tools.”
Mariam joined an agricultural training programme in Gedaref provided by UNDP under the women empowerment project. This gave her the tools and knowledge required to thrive as a farmer. She learned new agricultural techniques and also became part of a supportive community working together to rebuild their lives.
“Our attitudes and outlook on life have changed,” she says. “We now interact with people we had never engaged with before—we sit together, get to know each other and, most importantly, have household expenses covered through this collective work. If we need anything, the fund supports us.”
The project has also established 20 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) consisting of 500 women. These VSLAs provide a safe and structured platform for women to save money, borrow funds and invest in their futures. Each VSLA is supported by a dedicated administrative team, including a head, two accountants, one administrator and two committee members.
"Being part of the VSLA has changed my outlook," Mariam reflects. "I now understand how to manage my finances better and plan for the future. This opportunity has not only given us the means to sustain our families, it has also united us in a shared purpose. Together, we are building a better future.
Moneera's Story
“We moved from emptiness and worries about the war to a whole new world—a world full of production.”
In parts of Gedaref State and River Nile, where farming land is limited, home gardening has become a lifeline for women striving to provide nutritious food for their families. For Moneera, it has also been an opportunity to start a new business and rebuild her life after escaping the devastation of war.
Moneera was trained on sustainable agriculture, learning how to conserve water, improve soil quality and maximize the use of small spaces for vegetable production. Along with training, she also received seeds, tools and fertilisers.
Moneera says the project was “200% successful” because everyone who received training passed on their knowledge to others. “Everyone transitioned from group production to individual production, with each woman starting her own business.”
This wasn’t easy in such a remote area. One of the initial challenges was marketing and the logistical support needed to bring in hard-to-find materials, so Moneera worked with her colleagues and used her own vehicle to bring in supplies once a month.
“The project revitalized us and gave us a new purpose,” she says. “We gained valuable experience and moved from the emptiness and worries about the war to a whole new world—a world full of production.”
Today, Moneera and other women in the program are thriving. Their home gardens provide a steady supply of fresh vegetables, improving household nutrition and generating income. During the high season of Ramadan, they can make especially large profits. “We grow Ramadan-specific vegetables, and part of the team is already preparing Eid products to be ready in two weeks,” she says.
For more examples of UNDP’s work with BMZ and GIZ see: https://undpsudan.exposure.co/when_does_the_journey_end
For an overview of all our work on livelihoods, see:
https://www.undp.org/sudan/projects/resilient-livelihoods
Footnotes
All photos (c) UNDP Sudan/2025/Giles Clarke