Cash Transfers are Helping Women Create Businesses and Regain Hope in South Sudan

Story Highlights

• In June 2023, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan launched the South Sudan Productive Safety Net for Socioeconomic Opportunities Project (SNSOP), locally known as 'Shabaka Meisha,' a $199 million five-year safety net program funded by the World Bank.
• The project provides cash transfers and access to income-generating opportunities to fragile communities and aims to strengthen the National Safety Net Delivery System in South Sudan. It covers 20 counties and targets 157,000 households, including 24,000 refugees and 38,500 host communities, thus benefiting approximately 1.2 million poor and vulnerable individuals across the country.
• So far, 87,867 households (615,069 individuals) have received temporary income opportunities, amounting to $11.3 million paid in two rounds of transfers in 15 target counties.

South Sudan faces one of the highest poverty rates in the world, with recent World Bank estimates indicating that up to 92% of the population lives below the national poverty line. Poverty is driven by economic decline, high inflation, and flooding, resulting in widespread food insecurity which affects vulnerable groups across the country, especially women and children.

In such a challenging context, targeted safety net interventions are critical. That is why the Government of South Sudan has launched the South Sudan Productive Safety Net for Socioeconomic Opportunities Project (SNSOP), a $199 million program funded by the World Bank. Locally known as 'Shabaka Meisha,' which translates to 'Livelihoods Net,' SNSOP is providing support to hundreds of thousands of households in selected towns. It is led by the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) and the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare (MGCSW), with implementation support from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the Association of Ethiopian Microfinance Institutions (AEMFI), and a specialized organization yet to be onboarded that will focus on implementing livelihood-supporting activities. SNSOP offers cash transfers, labor-intensive public works, and access to income-generating opportunities, and aims to strengthen the National Safety Net Delivery System in South Sudan.

Two rounds of cash transfers have been conducted since December 2024 in all the counties covered under the project. Preparation has been key, including geographical and household targeting, biometric registration of beneficiaries, enrollment into the Management Information Systems, and the establishment of community committees and appeals structures. The successful conclusion of these two rounds marks a milestone for Shabaka Meisha, demonstrating the government's commitment to socioeconomic stability and resilience in the country. Thanks to SNSOP, over 87,967 households have already received income support in 15 counties across South Sudan, amounting to around 615,069 individuals. These transfers have brought relief and opportunity to families long trapped in cycles of food insecurity, conflict, and economic decline, providing them with both a safety net and a springboard for resilience and dignity.

Thirty-eight-year-old Betty Chongodo, from Torit County, in Eastern Equatoria State, is one of the Shabaka Meisha beneficiaries. The cash payments have meant more than one-off assistance to her: they have transformed her life, from relying on handouts from her husband to operating her own business selling vegetables and making profits that allow her to feed her children and send them to school.

"Before I joined the Shabaka Meisha project, I was just at home with nothing to do and many days I had very little to give my family to eat. When the cash support came, I started a small business. Now I am selling vegetables, salt, and peanut butter. From each bag of tomatoes, I make about SSP 50,000 ($10) a day, and on most days, I can sell two bags. With this money, I pay my children's school fees. They no longer go to school hungry, and I can see their performance getting better," she recounted.

Marlin Kiden resides in Juba County, in Central Equatoria State. Before the program, she lived in squalid conditions and earned money by scrubbing the floors of a local dispensary. After receiving her first cash payment through SNSOP, South Sudanese Marlin Kiden started a business which has now grown enough for her to pay rent and school fees for her children.Her success has pushed her to encourage other women to invest in businesses.

"Before the Shabaka Meisha project, I worked as a cleaner and I couldn't buy the things my family needed. But after I got the first payment for the project, things got better for me when I started my small business, and I used some of the money to pay for my kids' school. I can now stand by myself, and I want to encourage other women to put their money into small businesses so they may grow," she said.

Another recipient, Josephine Bakhita, described how she has been able to buy food, send her children to school, and start a small business, saying her life had completely changed.

"Before I received this money, life was very difficult. I could hardly manage to feed my children or cover their needs. But things have changed since I got support through the Shabaka Meisha project. I used part of it to pay school fees for my children and to buy food for the family. When the second payment came, I decided to start a small business in the market. Now I sell things like salt, sugar, and peanut paste. It doesn't bring a lot, but it helps us survive. I am truly grateful to the government and the World Bank for this support-it has given me, and my children hope," she said.

The stories of Betty, Marlin, Josephine, and countless others are proof that direct income support is not just charity but promotes dignity, resilience, and sows the seed of opportunity. With every transfer, families that once faced the daily terror of hunger are finding relief. With every small business launched, mothers are reclaiming their power to provide.

"Cash transfers through Shabaka Meisha are not just a lifeline, they are a catalyst to a better future for thousands of vulnerable families across South Sudan. These transfers contribute to a sense of dignity, enable self-reliance, and spark new hope through small businesses and livelihoods as well as increased community resilience. Shabaka Meisha also works to equip the government to deliver services to its citizens. The World Bank is committed to support South Sudan in building a robust social protection system that empowers its citizens and promotes sustainable development," said Charles Undeland, World Bank Group Country Manager for South Sudan.

Shabaka Meisha has shown what is possible when vulnerable households are given the means not just to survive but to dream again. The challenge now is to sustain and scale up this progress despite the many difficulties encountered in South Sudan, such as staggering poverty rates, recurrent climate shocks, and economic instability. Timely payments, stronger systems, more tools, and expanded opportunities will be essential to allow families across the country to step beyond crisis into a future of stability, growth, and dignity.