Success Stories from Our Members in the field

Creating ‘Fields of Dreams’ in Sierra Leone, Davidson Jonah, Christian Children's Fund - Sierra Leone National Director

Koinadugu has always been blessed with fertile soil and a good climate. Farmers can remember the way things used to be, when their district was Sierra Leone’s leading livestock and vegetable producer. But then came 10 years of brutal civil war. Lives were lost, and rebels destroyed farms, bridges, and valuable agricultural infrastructure, such as the Musaia Livestock Station.

Through the Agricultural Reintegration Program, Christian Children’s Fund-Sierra Leone is helping farmers regain what they have lost. The program is funded with the support of a $1.8 million USAID grant, and to date has assisted 4,752 farmers with the replacement of seeds and livestock lost during the war. Our goal is to help 5,899 farmers, including those who have lost land and livestock during the war, returnee and refugee farmers, and new immigrant farmers. Agricultural Reintegration reaches farmers in 100 villages. The villages are clustered into 16 communities, which have 16 credit officers, 10 agricultural extension officers, and 16 liaison officers.

CCF began by assessing the needs of farmers and helping to organize them into food security committees. These committees receive ongoing training by CCF, and oversee all food and agricultural interventions in their communities, including the distribution of seeds and animals. They monitor farming activities, and help settle disputes among farmers. They also work closely with the extension agents to provide technical support on skills in improved farming and storage, while the committees ensure that community members are working toward self-reliance.

Sustainability—the ability of the program to succeed after CCF is gone—is key to this program. Farmers receive seeds on loan; they must later replenish seed banks from their yields. These seeds are then loaned to other farmers, to help them get their start. The same is true of the livestock program, which provides farmers with goats and sheep, but requires them to perpetuate the program by “paying back” some of the offspring.

Additionally, CCF-Sierra Leone encourages seed fairs and inter-village trade as farmers learn to improve their skills and produce. The increase in produce will lead to more cash flow for the communities. But CCF also hopes to undertake some rehabilitation work on roads, and the repair and building of small bridges that connect the remote villages to bigger villages and marketing centers. These efforts will provide a much needed link to improve food security and alleviate poverty.