The Prolinnova initiative in Sudan aims at building/strengthening partnerships between the different stakeholders involved in agriculture, natural resource management, agricultural research and development in the country. The preparatory work started in 2004 by contacting the concerned government institutions, namely the Technology Transfer and Extension Administration (TTEA) and the Agricultural Research and Technology Corporation (ARC). The Prolinnova-Sudan Country Platform was approved by the Prolinnova Oversight Group in 2004 and commenced activities in January 2005.
Practical Action (formerly ITDG) Sudan Office was the coordinating NGO for the phase from 2004 to 2010.
In 2010, SOS Sahel Sudan was selected by the partners as coordinating body. This NGO has operated in Sudan since 1985 and has an accumulated wealth of experience and engagement with communities that it inherited from SOS Sahel International UK. It is the legitimate daughter of the transformation of SOS Sahel International UK into a national NGO and became independent in 2010. SOS Sahel Sudan is a legal entity governed by a 45-strong Sudanese General Assembly, 13 of whom form the Executive Committee, chaired by Mr Hashim Mohamed Elhasan, specialist in pastoralism and natural-resource-based conflict. Its Executive Director is Mr Salih Abdel-Majid Eldouma, a senior development practitioner with over 19 years’ experience in operating programmes across Sudan (with SOS Sahel, Oxfam America and Oxfam GB).
Some activities and achievements:
- Introductory workshops: 6 workshops were held to introduce the initiative to the stakeholders in different regions in Sudan during the period 2005-07
- Regional workshops: 3 regional workshops were held in the eastern, central-west and western regions
- Country inventory of innovative ideas: a collection of 10 innovations was published in a book Promoting Local Innovation in Sudan
- Formation of Participatory Innovation Development (PID) teams
- A PID review and assessment workshop was organised in Wad Madani (central Sudan) in collaboration with El Gazera University. The workshop was attended by participants from 7 states in North Sudan. A total of 15 researchers and academicians took part. They came from four universities, five research stations and the headquarters of the ARTC. Most of the participants attended one of the three PID training workshops held in 2006-07.
- Experimentation to validate innovative ideas
- Documentation of the innovative ideas
- Farmer-to-farmer fora: 2 fora were held in Dongola (North Sudan) and El Obied (Central Sudan), the latter funded by IFAD
- Written materials (posters and brochures) to draw public attention to importance of local innovation and its relevance for pro-poor growth
As of January 2018, a new National Steering Committee (NSC) has been set up in Sudan:
Prolinnova–Sudan National Steering Committee
1. Abdelmajeed Mohamed Yahya, SOS Sahel Sudan – NSC Vice-Chair
2. Mirghani Osman Ibnoaf, Sudanese Consumer Organization
3. Mohamed Yousif Mabrouk, Sudanese Environment Conservation Society – NSC Chair
4. Mohammed Taha Algadal, Dall Group
5. Omer Taha ElBashir, Small-Scale Producers Societies, hosted by Ministry of Agriculture
6. (Ms) Saada Ahmed Naile, National Center for Research (NCR)
7. (Ms) Siham Osman, Practical Action Sudan
8. (Ms) Sumia Mohammed Elsayed, School of Family Science, AlAfad University of Women
Ex-officio member: (Ms) Mawahib Eltayeb Ahmed, NCR Institute of Engineering Research and Material Technology, Prolinnova–Sudan Coordinator (ahmed.mawahib@gmail.com)
