Digol Mohamed: A refugee student, becomes a leading vegetable producer amid COVID-19 lockdown in Makpandu Refugee Camp, Western Equatoria State.

“Sustainable academic transformation for better future through food for education”

Photo 1: Digol, 30 years old Senior four refugee student from Sudan and currently living in Makpandu Refugee Camp (South Sudan) becomes a leading Vegetable producer. Digol Mohamed Sebit plants vegetables such as eggplants, tomatoes, Cabbages, watermelon and sugar cane on his farm. “Closure of schools due to COVID-19 pandemic enabled me to boost my small-scale production into large scale because I am in the garden from Monday to Saturday” Digol stated.

Photo 2: World Vision South Sudan with support from UNHCR trained Digol and his Senior One colleagues from Makpandu Secondary School on vegetable production in 2017. They received seeds – a motivation for Digol to establish his vegetable farm that enabled him to start another retail business of selling food items.

Photo 3: Digol partly feeds on his vegetables, sells some in Makpandu camp, and takes some to Yambio Markets from which he saves money to cater for his human basic needs. Digol’s life has changed into success since he received training from World Vision, a partner to UNCHR. Digol has also started a poultry farm for ducks and hens. “I am privileged that God has given me the opportunity to overcome poverty. I, therefore, have plenty vegetables to consume, sell and give some to my neighbors” He added.

Photo 4: Digol loads his fruits into a pickup truck and dispatches them to Makpandu and Yambio Markets. He earns over 8,500 South Sudanese Pounds per day of sales in both the camp and Yambio Main Market.

Photo 5: World Vision South Sudan with support from UNHCR has provided agriculture inputs to over 5242 beneficiaries in Makpandu Camp with the objective of enhancing Self-reliance and improved livelihood. World Vision – UNHCR Livelihood project has contributed quality to this year’s crop and vegetable productions and thus, farming has been transformed from subsistence to large scale.