Japanese Ambassador to South Sudan Kiya Masahiko and UN Women Programme Division Director Maria Noel Vaeza have handed over on Tuesday agricultural equipment to women's groups in Nimule in Eastern Equatoria State.

The equipment and machinery will benefit internally displaced women and host communities in three payams of Pageri, Mugali and Nimule, aiming to promote year-round production of vegetables, reduce the workload of women and girls, and improve women's access to resources and income.

The equipment includes five community cereal grinding mills, four greenhouse kits and four units of one-acre drip irrigation kits as part of the UN Women Humanitarian Assistance programme that is co-funded by the Government of Japan.

The project has also disbursed USD 350,000 in support of microenterprise development and vocational skills training targeting payams of the Pageri administrative area.

This support is part of the implementation of a three year US $3.5 million humanitarian assistance programme funded by the Government of Japan, targeting Juba County, Awerial County and Pageri administrative area.