Atiriu Ag Centre

ACROSS prepares to reopen the agricultural training center just outside of Rumbek in Atiriu in the Lakes State. The centre was closed during previous years of conflict, yet some of our most successful agriculture projects continue to have impact in the region. As the country begins to move from relief to development, we are reopening the center and expanding our community development model to help people move from relief and dependency toward resilience and recovery.

The first phase of reopening the centre is to rehabilitate the buildings and establish a plan for sustainable agriculture that will help fund development work in the area.

Abol Moses Majok has come onboard as Farm Manager to begin the work of re-establishing the centre as a working farm for demonstration and funding.

Once coronavirus restrictions are lifted, the community development training will begin. ACROSS has a long history with church-centered asset-based community development. The model we use is called the Participatory Awakening Process (PAP), also known as Church and Community Mobilization Process (CCMP) or Church and Community Transformation (CCT). PAP focuses on capacity building of the local church to be salt and light to their community and then partners with the church and the community to provide technical support throughout the development process.

To help prepare the community to move from relief to development, we propose kicking off the program with Transformational Leadership Training (from Church Mission Society (CMS) Africa). This training is designed to confront cultural lies that hold people back from development and prepare participants for transformation.