Kwanda
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In Progress
Started: 9 Sept 2024
Est. Completion date: Ongoing
Fund capital used

$5,270

Partner:
  • Relevant Data
  • Region
    πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡± Sierra Leone
  • Sector
    πŸ₯¬ Agriculture
  • Farms enrolled
    30
About

Context

Sierra Leone ranks 184 out of 193 countries on the Human Development Index, with two-thirds of its population living below the poverty line. The country's social and economic structure, already weakened by a decade-long conflict, was further devastated by the 2019 pandemic and compounded by soaring interest rates in 2021-2022.

Rural areas are particularly affected, with many communities relying on small-scale farming and remaining vulnerable to economic, environmental, and climatic shocks. While many NGOs and government initiatives focus on urban areas, rural communities are often overlooked, leaving them without crucial development opportunities.

Solution

A long-term agriculture project in collaboration with rural farming communities in Marampa will be implemented over several months, encompassing three phases:

Phase 1: Working directly with the 30 farms, Mohammed, an agriculture officer will supply seeds and tools to increase the farmers' yields and diversify their crops. Each farmer can choose what they need. Mohammed will spend his time embedded in the communities, supporting each farm, providing tailored advice and support and encouraging sustainable farming practices. All the communities supported in this pilot will work cooperatively, allowing for shared labour for planting and harvesting.

Phase 2: Composting workshops will be hosted to address soil degradation and reduce reliance on costly chemical fertilizers. The workshops are available to the whole community, and farmers will be shown how to establish a community compost using materials they can find in their natural environment. The knowledge and learning gained are then further disseminated amongst the wider farming community, and individual farmers can create and maintain their compost over time.

Phase 3: We will fund the provision of materials to establish or refurbish community seed banks. The farms that received the initial yield booster and crop diversification will harvest and store the seeds for the next planting cycle. Other community members can use the storage space and trade their seeds,

Impact

The project will directly benefit farmers. The initial crop diversification and yield booster focuses on 30 farms, and then the compost and seed bank elements benefit the wider community.

By transitioning from subsistence farming to trading at regional markets, farmers will achieve stable and reliable incomes. This will raise living standards, allowing families to afford adequate nutrition, education, and healthcare.

The focus on sustainable and regenerative farming practices will also contribute to long-term food security and climate change resilience in these vulnerable rural areas.

Updates

From the field

First field monitoring visit completed across project farms

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 9 Dec 2024

Last week, I visited all the farms to check on the crop's progress and do field monitoring.

First harvest of nutrient dense potatoes underway

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 3 Dec 2024

I visited Aishatu's farm today, where she's growing improved varieties of potato with denser nutrition for the first time. The crops are developing well according to plan.

First potato sprouts emerge

Posted by Jermaine

Posted 15 Nov 2024

The first crops are beginning to sprout ... potatoes!

Pictured here is a photograph of the early sprouts.

Seed distribution faces transport setback

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 30 Oct 2024

We're on day two of the seed distribution. Unfortunately, we've hit a roadblock as the transport vehicle got stuck whilst transporting the seed crops. We're working to resolve this issue and resume distribution as quickly as possible.

Seed crops distribution begins

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 29 Oct 2024

We started distributing seed crops today and aim to finish by tomorrow to ensure all partner farmers receive them on time. I’ve attached photographs of the day, including some of the partner farmers.

Community visits and beneficiary selection completed in Kalangba

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 26 Oct 2024

I'm happy to inform you all that I concluded the community visits and beneficiary selection yesterday.

Today, I'm in the field doing registrations and engaging the farms in land preparation, starting first in the Kalangba community.

Programme expansion includes presentations to Kalangba and Mafera villages

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 21 Oct 2024

We've extended the presentations, mapping, and scope to include more communities and have since visited and walked them through the programme. The communities were Kalangba village and Mafera village.

Team completes final community visits to Maronko and Mabai villages

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 12 Oct 2024

The team concluded the final community visits by Friday, visiting two communities: the Maronko village and the Mabai village. Photographs and field artifacts from these visits are attached.

Team visits Makindo and Rothana communities during field movement

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 10 Oct 2024

On day 3 of the field movement, the team visited the Makindo and Rothana communities.

Community Outreach Continues in Makel Village

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 8 Oct 2024

The team visited the second community in Makel Village today, continuing their outreach efforts. Due to the market Luma day at Faredugu, only one community visit was possible, with the remaining time allocated for office work.

🚫 πŸ“· This image has been altered in line with our minors' consent policy.

Community engagement activities launched in Masokoh village

Posted by Jermaine

Posted 7 Oct 2024

Community meeting for agricultural initiative in Masokoh village, Sierra Leone
This morning, we began the first community engagement activities in Masokoh village, one of the six communities that will benefit from this project.

Activities included:

  • Sitting down with community stakeholders

  • Mapping of the farmland

  • Baseline surveys

Farmers gathering for project briefing in rural Sierra Leone village

October timelines and work plan

Posted by Mohammed Conteh

Posted 21 Sept 2024

We plan to start the field operations at the end of the month. The full work plan is attached.

Date Activity
30th Sep - 1st Oct Identification of qualifying farms
7th Oct - 11th Oct Survey of Needs Assessment
14th Oct - 16th Oct Consultative meetings with community stakeholders
17th Oct - 21st Oct Farm Registration
22nd Oct Engaging farmers on land preparation
22nd Oct - 25th Oct Distribution of seeds
28th Oct - 31st Oct Preparation of first-month report

Farming support project launches in Sierra Leone

Posted by Jermaine

Posted 9 Sept 2024

The effort to support farms in Sierra Leone has officially begun, with funding now en route to the country.

Once the funds arrive and the team is mobilised, I'll provide further updates on the project's progress.

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