Agriculture

Helping rural family farms in Sierra Leone earn income

Community members seated outdoors attending a training session presented at a chalkboard in a tropical forest setting.

Fund capital used

$11,170

A pilot regenerative farming project in Sierra Leone, supporting rural farmers to transition from subsistence to sustainable, income-generating agriculture.

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The Story

This work began with a simple question: What would it take for small farmers in Sierra Leone to grow more than just enough to survive?

In the rural district of Marampa, where communities rely almost entirely on small-scale agriculture, most farmers are limited by poor soil, lack of tools, and little access to market support. Many farm the same crops year after year, depleting the soil while struggling to feed their families.

In partnership with Reseed, this project pilots a new model, one rooted in sustainable growth and community ownership. Mohammed Conteh, the lead agricultural officer, will work closely with 30 farms across six villages, supplying tailored seed kits, farming tools, and one-on-one support to help diversify and strengthen yields. Farmers will collaborate to share labour during planting and harvesting, establishing habits of mutual support and knowledge sharing.

Later phases include composting workshops and community seed banks, which deepen soil health and enable long-term planning.

Why this matters

Sierra Leone ranks 184 out of 193 countries on the Human Development Index. Two-thirds of its people live in poverty. While urban areas see concentrated aid and infrastructure, rural communities remain under-resourced and highly vulnerable to economic and climate shocks.

Years of conflict, the 2019 pandemic, and recent inflation have only deepened this inequality. Rural families in Marampa face some of the most challenging conditions: depleted soil, erratic weather, and limited to no agricultural support.

This project is designed to change that from the ground up, helping farmers grow more, earn more, and plan ahead.

Technical stuff

The Details

Updates

From the field

268 farmers complete community compost training in Sierra Leone

Posted 12 Jan 2026

All six community compost training programmes supported through Reseed in Sierra Leone have been successfully completed. The final community, Makel, wrapped up their two-day workshop in November 2025 and received tools for their community cooperative.

The programme trained 268 farmers across six rural communities in Kigoma District: Kalangba, Masokoh, Rochain, Mapoli, Mafera, and Makel.

A group of adults and children gathered outdoors around a pit filled with organic material near rural buildings and sacks. Impact on sustainable agriculture

The training reached 268 farmers in total (116 male, 152 female), exceeding initial expectations. The team anticipated 35-40 participants per workshop on average, but actual attendance was significantly higher.

Comparing the 220 direct farmers from Phase 1 of the programme (seed distribution) against the final workshop attendance shows that an additional 48 farmers were included in the community compost training.

A person in a black shirt presenting to a large group of community members seated outdoors under trees. Breakdown by community:

Community	Male	Female	Total
Kalangba	17	26	43
Masokoh	23	24	47
Rochain	18	35	53
Mapoli	20	21	41
Mafera	14	23	37
Makel	24	23	47
Total	116	152	268

Training curriculum

Each community participated in intensive two-day workshops covering:

Composting techniques and best practices
Hands-on practical sessions
Community cooperative management
Tool distribution for ongoing agricultural work

Farmers learned how to create high-quality compost from local materials, reducing their dependence on expensive chemical fertilizers while improving soil health and crop yields for their families.

Man speaking to a seated group of villagers outdoors under trees, with a wheelbarrow labeled "RESEED SL" and farming tools nearby. Looking ahead

With the completion of these trainings, all planned activities funded through this partnership have been successfully delivered. Reseed will continue monitoring the six communities using unrestricted funds from other sources to ensure composting practices are properly maintained and deliver long-term agricultural and economic benefits to participating families.

Women in colorful traditional clothing pouring water from buckets onto a mound of organic material outdoors, surrounded by a group of onlookers.

Field visit conducted in Makindo community

Posted 18 Jun 2025

Here are photos from my field visits to the Makindo community.

Field visit snapshots from Rochain and Makel communities

Posted 13 Jun 2025

Here are photos from my field visits to the Rochain and Makel communities.

Crop monitoring and rice pre-nursery training

Posted 11 Jun 2025

Training beneficiaries on when to weed there crops and on the pre nursery of their swamp rice and field monitoring on their crops.

Pre-planting training and crop care support in Kalangba

Posted 9 Jun 2025

Spent the day in Kalangba supporting pre-planting activities and checking in on farms. Trained beneficiaries on caring for groundnuts during the flowering phase and showed them how to earth up pepper plants to boost their yield. Pepper plants are starting to produce, and the cassava fields are coming along well too.