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) across South Sudan.

This pivotal event, which took place from May 7th to May 9th, 2024, was not merely a workshop; it symbolised a collective step towards realising the region’s ambitious vision of agricultural development.

The workshop’s inauguration was marked by the resounding commitment of the African Development Bank’s Feed Africa initiative, which envisions a continent, self-sufficient in food production.

Supported by the Transition Support Facility (TSF) and the Africa Emergency Food Production Facility (AEFPF), both instrumental in providing essential resources and funding, South Sudan’s agricultural landscape brimmed with promise and possibility.

The atmosphere crackled with enthusiasm as participants—researchers, seed specialists, private sector representatives, women and youth groups, and government officials—delved into the teachings of the multi-stakeholder Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme.

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.

At the heart of the workshop was a profound aspiration to establish at least ten innovation platforms across South Sudan.

Envisioned as collaborative hubs, these platforms would serve as nuclei for transformative change in sorghum production and beyond. They would facilitate knowledge exchange, resource sharing, and coordinated efforts among diverse stakeholders, paving the way for holistic agricultural development.

Workshop sessions were not just about lectures and presentations; they were lively exchanges of ideas, experiences, and aspirations. Reflections on the strategies of Feed Africa, the dynamic interventions of TAAT, and the pivotal role of TSF and AEFPF spurred new perspectives. They ignited ambitions for tangible impact within the local context.

The workshop’s culmination 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 catalysed 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 maximise productivity.

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 AEFPF.

The journey ahead promised vibrant innovation platforms sprouting across the nation, each a testament to the collaborative spirit driving South Sudan’s agricultural transformation.

As the participants embarked on their missions to train and inspire, they carried skills, knowledge, and a shared commitment to harness South Sudan’s untapped agricultural potential.

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.