In Sierra Leone, agricultural training can help farming families turn their hard work into more reliable harvests and stronger livelihoods.
Practical opportunities to learn better cultivation methods, care for the soil and bring crops to market equip farmers to grow more food and earn income to meet household needs.
The benefits can extend beyond the farm—to meals on the table, children in school and opportunities to build a small business.
For families taking part in the training program supported by Bread and Water for Africa® and Faith Healing Development Organization (FHDO), these possibilities have become tangible, as Ms. Memuna Gassimu’s experience shows.
Bread and Water for Africa® is working with our sub-Saharan African partners, including FHDO in Sierra Leone, to address that “stagnant productivity” by offering agricultural training for women and youth farmers, enabling them to significantly increase harvests on their small plots of land.
Memuna lives in the village of Moribatown in the Bonthe District with her children.
About five years ago, her husband abandoned his family, and “the responsibility to care for the kids rested on her shoulders,” reported Francis A.M. Rogers, the FHDO’s Program Manager.
“She tried to cope for a while, but eventually could not.
“With no one to help, the kids stopped school because she could not pay the bills.”
When FHDO staff visited Moribatown and learned of her travails, they approached her and registered her for the training program, from which she and her children benefited greatly.
As Memuna told us, “My cassava farm did well, and I have been able to raise money to send my kids back to school this year.
“We can now eat well, and I now have a small business to run.
“I am really grateful to Bread and Water for Africa®, FHDO and God for this opportunity.”
Memuna’s experience underscores why agricultural training matters in Sierra Leone: the skills to grow a successful crop can help parents put food on the table, earn an income and keep their children in school.
Expanding access to practical training means giving more families the opportunity to build on their own hard work and create more secure livelihoods.
With continued support for Bread and Water for Africa® and FHDO, more parents like Memuna can gain the skills to provide for their families—one harvest at a time.
At Bread and Water for Africa®, we’re inspired by stories like this! Thanks to our amazing donors, we're positively transforming lives in wonderful communities like Moribatown.
