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South Sudan

Group cash transfers in South Sudan: Case study and learning brief - South Sudan Red Cross and Danish Red Cross (July 2024)

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Introduction

Group Cash Transfer (GCT) is an approach that provides resources in the form of cash transfers to community groups to implement projects that can contribute to the immediate survival and recovery needs of a crisis-affected population. The approach seeks to transfer decision-making power to the groups, driving a locally led approach and putting communities at the centre of the action.

South Sudan Red Cross Society (SSRC) with the support of Danish Red Cross (DRC) piloted the GCT approach in 2023. The SSRC engaged in the GCTs pilot to complement their ongoing strategic priority towards using cash and voucher assistance in their interventions. The GCTs allowed communities to lead the priority setting, design, implementation, and monitoring of their group projects. The overall project aim was to stimulate and create avenues for communities to access food locally and to enable resilient livelihoods for the group members.

Background

1. Location

SSRC prioritised the pilot location in Raja in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State, South Sudan, following a review of the community’s risk profile and its severe humanitarian situation, the capacities of SSRC branches in the region, and support already being received by the various branches in the country. SSRC and DRC are currently implementing a resilience project in Raja to strengthen the capacities of communities to manage changing and recurrent risks related to climate-related risks, health, and local conflict-related threats. The area has also witnessed an influx of returnees and refugees following the conflict in Sudan and the Central African Republic, further compounding the humanitarian situation in the country.

The targeted groups form part of the community affected by food insecurity in Raja due to recurrent cycles of floods, drought, and conflict. Raja is a located North-West of South Sudan and is among areas devastated by civil war, malnutrition, and poor sanitary conditions. Food is scarce, and when it can be found, it is not necessarily affordable.

2. Co-design workshop

DRC and SSRC facilitated a co-design workshop in Juba in July 2023, which aimed to introduce the newly developed SSRC guideline on GCT, provide orientation on GCT co-design session and training of facilitators to support implementation of GCT. A total of 12 participants took part in the workshop, drawn from Red Cross Movement partners within South Sudan to include SSRC, IFRC, ICRC, PNS’s and the HNS.

A second co-design workshop was undertaken in Raja, bringing together 23 participants (2 representatives from each of the 9 groups), one SSRC volunteer and 1 staff. Additionally, three (3) external stakeholders from public authorities also participated in the workshop. These included the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) county chairperson, Director of Gender, Child and Social welfare, and the Director of Agriculture. SSRC staff from HQ and branch facilitated the session.

3. Group selection and membership

With the support of SSRC field teams, SSRC mobilised the 9 community groups to develop concept notes including their proposed plans and budgets. These were reviewed and approved by the SSRC team at HQ. The submitted proposals and budget informed the transfer value for the GCTs. A total of four (4) groups received support from SSRC in the pilot stage for the implementation of their project ideas. The projects focused on food security (agriculture) (3 groups), protection, social cohesion, and livelihood (1 group), with each group receiving 4,000,000 South Sudanese Pounds. GCT co-design workshop Juba and in the field (Raja).