Improvement of Indigenous Coping Strategies of Famine-stricken areas in Darfur State, Sudan

The project scientific team held a series of meetings, validating the project work plan and setting up the appropriate criteria (academic performance, research proposals, and interviews) for the selection of the MSc candidates. Eighty nine applications were received, reviewed and short-listed, and the most potential 12 candidates were chosen and successfully registered as MSc students. The 12 proposed research topics are complementary and were revised and designed toidentify and promote indigenous famine survival strategiesand to provide applicable and accessible solutions using indigenous and advanced knowledge and scientific methodologies and technological innovations. The topics covered: i) enhancement of production-process of traditional famine-foods, ii) improvement of the quality, nutritive value and safety of the famine foods, iii) optimization of the storage conditions and packaging systems at the villages level for long shelf-life of the indigenous fermented foods as well as iv) identification and exploration of new famine-foods that are available but not yet been properly investigated and utilized. Sufficient indigenous knowledge of the traditional famine-food preparation and availability in North Darfur has been collected, which had helped to create more awareness about indigenous famine-foods, and founded a strong baseline for designing the relevant laboratory experiments. In a series of preparatory and training workshops, the students have been sensitized and well-trained on different concepts of conducting field surveys andthe method of data collection. These training workshops have significantly helped in building and raising the capacity of the students to be able to collect accurate and reliable data and information on the topics of concern. At present, all students are on ground conducting the field surveys, collecting indigenous knowledge and traditional-prepared famine-food samples, for further laboratory analysis. During the started process of the project implementation linkages and partnership have been established with many stakeholders and that will facilitate the project implementation process, and build and strengthen national advocacy coalitions for supporting the development of indigenous famine survival strategies to help people become resilient to famine-stricken in the future.