By Bior Aquilla – Aug 04 2025
In the heart of Juba, a silent revolution is unfolding, rooted in the soil. Amidst economic turmoil, a group of South Sudanese women are fighting back not with protests or politics, but with seeds, soil, and self-determination.
TOTATSS (Taste of the Agricultural Touch South Sudan), a grassroots group of five South Sudanese individuals, is spearheading an initiative to empower communities through agriculture. At a time when inflation has made food and basic goods unaffordable for many households, TOTATSS is enabling families to grow their own food and generate income.
“The idea of TOTATSS is to get people interested and a hands-on approach in the idea of growing food in small spaces, when the word farming or agriculture comes up we tend to start thinking of acres of land, tractors, irrigation systems, labourers, storage houses, fertilizers, and that puts us off, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming,” says Nyibol Deng, the co-founder of Totatss.
The initiative provides individuals with the tools and knowledge to cultivate crops in small spaces, even within the comfort of their own homes, regardless of space limitations. While they initially aimed for 50 participants, they have already enlisted 27 members and provided most of them with essential seeds and equipment, such as grow bags, to embark on their small-scale agriculture journey.
Nyibol Deng, a UK-based South Sudanese female entrepreneur and one of TOTATSS’s founders shares insights into the initiative, what prompted its inception, and how soaring prices and inflation led to the birth of the idea behind TOTATSS.
“We have noticed that over a large amount of fruit and vegetables are imported from neighbouring countries such as Uganda and Kenya, which is not a bad thing But also its not a good thing in the long term for the economy and families within South Sudan,” says Nyibol, adding, “The food that is grown locally in South Sudan is sometimes far out in other states where huge lands are available to do large scale farming. However, due to insecurities along the routes leading to juba, it is difficult to transport them to the markets in Juba.”
The initiative, entirely community-led and unfunded by any external organizations, supplies participants with the essential farming materials, a variety of seeds, seedling pots or nursery containers, and fertilizers.
“Through this project we aim to do several things; encourage and build an interest into growing food, produce food that is more affordable and does not inflate whenever the dollar increases. It is good to get the fruits and vegetables (from Uganda and Kenya) but then the costs becomes high because you have to add the transportation and the customs tax and everything else. So the people don’t get it at an affordable price and whenever there’s inflation in terms of dollars then they also have to take that on,” Nyibol says.
Beneficiaries only need to provide soil and water. From there, TOTATSS offers hands-on support throughout the growing cycle, ensuring even those with no prior farming experience can succeed.
“We have invested in this idea as we strongly believe in a nation where there is an abundance of food, the price will be affordable even for the poorest of households in the future. After this trail run we will be looking to gain funding from organizations that share the same vision, that will allow us to expand and provide the best experience as possible,” she said.
Given that over 70% of South Sudan’s population faces hunger due to conflict, climate shocks, and a struggling economy, TOTATSS is more than just an agricultural effort; it’s a model of resistance and resilience.
New food security data from the UN indicates that 57% of the population, nearly 7.7 million people, will be acutely food insecure through the 2025 lean season.
Nyibol, shares exciting future plans to lease agricultural land, allowing farmers to grow fruits and vegetables on a larger scale. In addition to providing materials, TOTATSS will also be teaching participants various farming techniques.
“For this first group we are starting with teaching them with grow bags at home, then once they get the hang of it, we then want to go into maybe leasing a land. We are setting up community allotments so people can hire spaces on the land then they can grown more things; more fruits, vegetables or if they want to start growing fruit trees they will have more space there and they’ll be able to have access to fertilizers, compost and more water.”
A photo of nursery pots before seedlings are transplanted to growing bags (Photo-TOTATSS)
Although the initiative is still in its early stages, interest is rapidly growing.
Community members are directly benefiting and spreading the word, transforming neighbors into farmers and empty plots into green spaces. Each participant receives a package to begin their growing journey.
Stella Kiden, a recent participant, spoke highly of the program, noting that it’s an excellent way to teach people how to “kitchen garden.”
“It feels good to have such a thing, I think many people will learn kitchen gardening around their homes in Juba,” says Kiden.
Kiden finds the farming process therapeutic, sharing that it gives her a sense of purpose and hope.
“It really gives purpose; it’s therepeutic. Knowing that you are planting something and you want to see it multiplying. Farming is like that it brings that hope.”
She’s ambitious about farming and this opportunity has allowed her to gain hands-on experience, which she says she’s very happy about. She mentioned that one of her plants has started shooting, and she plans to continue tending to it whenever she can.
“I want to become a farmer, but I wanted to start small. I was so happy when I got this information and I registered very fast. I have never been a hands-on farmer, I’ve always been a mobile farmer which is not so good. Thats why I decided to do it before I leave the country. Next week I’ll be back and I want to see the results. That’s why I say it’s very therapeutic because when I go back I’ll be happy to see what I’ve done,” Kiden stresses.
TOTATSS aims to expand its reach and eventually partner with organizations to promote agriculture as a tool for long-term self-sufficiency. In a country where hardship is a daily reality, TOTATSS is planting more than just crops; it is planting hope.
This story is reported with a grant from Journalists for Human Rights under the ‘Tackling
Mis/Disinformation Project,’ funded by the Peace and Stabilization Program of the
Government of Canada