WASH and Food Security Assistance in Kurmuk and Bau (WFA II) Semiannual Report

The project will reach vulnerable food insecure and water-scarce communities, including IDPs and areas that have not received humanitarian assistance in years due to ongoing conflict. ADRA will provide critical lifesaving WASH and food security and livelihoods (FSL) interventions to provide households with access, knowledge, and tools necessary to increase their food security and decrease water-related disease. The project will take a community-based approach to provide 26,500 people with access to water, complimentary hygiene promotion, and WASH NFI distributions to fully support health improvements. ADRA will work with trusted local partner JASMAR to reach 19,800 people with agricultural training and inputs, including improved seeds and tools, to improve their household subsistence and train others to do the same. The project's primary goal is to address the acute food security and WASH needs in Blue Nile through integrated WASH and FSL interventions. The project will be implemented in 10 carefully selected Kurmuk and Bau localities locations that need WASH and food security services. The project's primary goal is to address the acute food security and WASH needs in Blue Nile through integrated WASH and FSL interventions. The selected targeted areas need these essential services as the protracted conflict deprived the needy populations of WASH and food security humanitarian aids. The project has two specific objectives: increased access to improved water sources, hygiene, and sanitation practices, and improved access to food supplies through increased access to agricultural inputs and resilient practices. Under the first objective, 3,000 households will be targeted through WASH activities that include water source rehabilitation and upgrading, distribution of WASH NFIs, and hygiene promotion. The second objective's total target beneficiaries will be 3,300 households, including 300 lead farmers, 3,000 farmers, and 700 as agricultural inputs beneficiaries. The project's implementation began in September 2020, and the project start-up workshop was conducted from October 26th to 28th, 2020, at the ADRA Sudan H.Q. office in Khartoum. The workshop provided an overview of the project objectives and activities and how the implementation would be conducted. Participants were informed about the target areas, beneficiaries, activities, performance, and monitoring plans provided in the sectors presentations. The project staff recruitment was completed in September 2020, except for the Community Mobilizer assistants, who started on October 1st, 2020. The project staff includes the project Manager, M&E Officer, Hygiene Officer, FSL Supervisor, Driver, and Janitor, whereas JASMAR nominated the four needed and budgeted staff. Both organizations completed employment to implement activities in the project two sub-sectors; WASH, Agriculture, and Food Security. The project has made significant progress in signing technical agreements, memorandum of understanding, and staff recruitment. The technical agreement was signed by the local partner JASMAR on September 28th, the line ministry on October 5th, and HAC at the state level on October 15th, 2020. The memorandum of understanding with ADRA's local partner JASMAR was developed simultaneously with the technical agreement and before the startup workshop's conduction. The recruitment of all project staff was completed in September 2020, except for the Community Mobilizer assistants, who started on October 1st, 2020. The baseline survey was conducted from November 15th to 27th, 2020, and involved Focus group Discussion (FGD), semi-structured interviews (SSI), Key Informants (KI), and a questionnaire administered in five communities within the two localities. The sample size was 445 households and covered Buk, Ulu in Bau locality, and Alshimi, Alzariba, and Jurut Gharib in Kurmuk locality. The final report was submitted in December 2020. The project's progress report covers the period from September 2020 to March 2021 based on the reporting requirements of OFDA. The report includes the signing of technical agreements, memorandum of understanding, staff recruitment, and an online startup workshop conducted online on the last week of October 2020, WASH, FSL, and MEAL activities.