By Waure Eddy
The Catholic Organization for Development and Peace has distributed cash vouchers worth 15,600 United States dollars to vulnerable internally displaced persons in Madebe Payam, Ibba County, as part of a six-month emergency response and recovery project.
The initiative, funded by CAFOD and Trocaire in partnership and implemented by CODEP, targets 200 households with comprehensive support that includes cash assistance, agricultural inputs, non-food items, training on good agricultural practices, and peacebuilding activities.
Speaking during the distribution, Mr. Gigaragbere Emmanuel, Project Officer for Emergency Response and Recovery, emphasized that the program is designed to benefit displaced families in four stages. He expressed gratitude to CAFOD for funding the project and thanked Ibba County authorities for their cooperation in facilitating the intervention. Emmanuel assured beneficiaries that the next phase will focus on agricultural tools and inputs as the planting season approaches, enabling families to cultivate and produce their own food.
Local leaders welcomed the intervention with appreciation. Mr. Peter Rawanda, a community leader from Madebe Payam, praised CODEP for supporting vulnerable families who have endured hardship for years. He said the cash distribution would help them significantly in this critical moment and extended appreciation to CAFOD and Trocaire for their partnership in bringing relief to displaced communities.
Each of the 200 internally displaced persons received 78 United States dollars, enabling them to purchase food and basic necessities or invest in small businesses to generate income for their families. The cash-based assistance model allows beneficiaries to make their own decisions about how best to meet their most urgent needs, promoting dignity and agency while supporting local market economies.
Beneficiaries shared their gratitude for the timely support. Roda Justin Bullen said the funds would allow her to start a small-scale business to support her family, adding that she plans to use the cash in productive ways that will create sustainable income beyond the immediate relief period.
Gaaniko Mario Kaza noted that the assistance came at the right time to sustain his household, expressing deep thanks to CODEP and its partners for supporting internally displaced persons who have struggled to meet basic needs since fleeing their homes.
The cash distribution in Madebe Payam represents a significant intervention in Ibba County, where thousands of displaced families continue to face severe hardship following years of conflict and insecurity in Western Equatoria State. Many of these families fled violence in other parts of the region and have been living in displacement sites with minimal resources, limited livelihood opportunities, and inadequate access to basic services.
CODEP’s comprehensive approach to supporting displaced populations goes beyond immediate relief to include agricultural training and inputs, non-food items, and peacebuilding activities. This holistic strategy aims to address both the urgent humanitarian needs of displaced families and the longer-term challenges of building resilience, restoring livelihoods, and promoting peaceful coexistence in communities affected by conflict.
The six-month Emergency Response and Recovery project in Ibba County is part of CODEP’s broader humanitarian and development work across Western Equatoria State. The organization has been at the forefront of responding to displacement crises in the region, working closely with international partners like CAFOD, Trocaire, and the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund to deliver assistance to the most vulnerable populations.
CODEP continues to roll out humanitarian and development activities across Western Equatoria State, reaffirming its commitment to supporting displaced and vulnerable communities in South Sudan. As a faith-based organization operating under the auspices of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, CODEP brings not only material assistance but also pastoral care and solidarity to communities facing tremendous challenges.
The successful distribution of cash vouchers in Madebe Payam demonstrates the effectiveness of partnership between international Catholic development agencies and local implementing organizations in reaching displaced populations with dignified and appropriate assistance. As the project moves into its next phases, beneficiaries will receive additional support designed to help them transition from emergency relief to recovery and resilience, ultimately working toward a future in which they can return home or rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
