Summary

This proposal seeks funding from our village fund to pilot a long-term agriculture project to support rural farming communities in Marampa, Sierra Leone. In partnership with Reseed, this pilot will help 30 farms transition from subsistence farming to income-generating agriculture while adopting sustainable and regenerative farming practices.

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, an agriculture officer will supply seeds and tools to increase the farmers' yields and diversify their crops. Each farmer can choose what they need. The agriculture officer will spend their 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, facilitating further diversification of crops on the land.