The Strong Women of Amedichi

Our team in South Sudan recently travelled to Amedichi – an inspiring community of widows that has flourished since the day we drilled their water well – to get an update on their progress.

Our County Manager, Abednego, reports that the women have already started clearing land in anticipation of the upcoming season. Flooding during the rainy season damaged many of their crops, but these hardworking women refuse to be discouraged. He brought us stories of three women in particular who are leading the community through their most recent hardship:

Mary Akol saved her money and bought a bull for ploughing. In a country as patriarchal as South Sudan, women owning livestock is unheard of.

Mary said that it was a miracle for her and the other women to have such status and economic power, which she attributes to the Obakki Foundation’s support in drilling the borehole and providing seed packages. Mary wanted to express her sincere thanks the Obakki Foundation donors and field staff for dedicating their time and resources to develop rural communities like Amedichi. She stated (very proudly) that women in her village are now empowered to demand respect from men she is working with women in other villages where OF is doing similar project. She told us, “Work hard and hope for the best. Hard work and hope can pay you regardless of where you are.”

Mary Biech recently bought a goat with profits from selling vegetables. The elders and widows of Amedichi advise the younger women like her to work hard, which motivated her have bigger goals. Mary’s goat had a baby and, in two years time, Mary plans to have ten goats…all from selling vegetables that were grown using the water well in her village. Mary wanted to thank the Obakki Foundation its supporters for opening her eyes to what is possible with access to clean water and the introduction of gardening to her village.

We are endlessly inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit that lives inside the women of Amedichi.