Agriculture constitutes a significant fragment of Sierra Leone’s economy, as two-thirds of Sierra Leoneans are involved in subsistence agricultural activities. It is factual that women provide 70 percent of the agriculture labour force in Sierra Leone and have continued to play a vital role in natural resource management and food production from time immemorial.
Different regimes over the years have placed agriculture and food security amongst their top priorities, the current SLPP regime of President Bio is doing extremely well in the agriculture sector. President Bio is also applauded within and outside Sierra Leone for acknowledging individuals who are tremendously contributing in the agriculture sector for our beloved nation to attain food security, which is at the heart of the current President. By giving them awards, the government provides motivation for the farmers, the latest awardee being Mrs. Bintu Jibao of Kailahun District, Executive Director of Women in Agriculture and Development-(WIAD-SL), bagging a master farmer award.
The women in Agriculture and Development Sierra Leone (WIAD-SL) is a registered local Non- Governmental Organisation established in 2018, with a mission to work with women and youths to gain power and reduce poverty through agricultural activities. Its goal is to empower community women and youths for sustainable development, Promote and advocate for community women and child rights.
Agricultural activities
Since its inscription, WIAD-SL in its bid to support government achieve national food security, has been supporting women farmers with agricultural inputs; supporting live-stocking for vulnerable women and youth farmer base organizations. It has established community seed bank and operate seed recovery schemes. WIAD-SL has supported communities by building stores, with one store house constructed in Kailahun, which is also used for gari processing. One store house and a drying floor in Kenema, and a milling house equipped with a milling machine to assist farmers in Vahum chiefdom. One acre land has been acquired in Bo for the construction of a store house and dying floor. WIAD-SL also broadens the knowledge of women farmers with various training, whereby the services of agriculture experts are hired to train women and youth farmers on basic agronomic practices, as well as post-harvest training programmes.
WIAD-SL is implementing its agricultural activities in the following districts; Bo, Bonthe, Kailahun, Kenema, Kono and Moyamba, cultivating rice in inland valley swamps, groundnuts, cassava, vegetables and pineapples in the various districts of its operational areas. Over 980 acres of land will be cultivated this year, as more land has been acquired in the various locations of WIAD-SL operations.
