By Agnes Sia Bangalie: +232 79 881088
The Everybody Must Farm (EMF) Organization has according to reports attracted the Zimbabwean born Tonderai Manoto led European Union funded Opportunity Salone Programme that is to support the Youth especially the Women and Persons With Disabilities to engage in agribusiness entrepreneurship in Sierra Leone.
Reports furthered that the enormous challenges to get the youth back to the farms give the task to members of Everybody Must Farm Organization to prove to their development partners about their capability to implement project activities by acting brave through massive community meetings and awareness raising actions using local radio and television programs, newspapers, social media, billboards, posters and flyers, encouraging farmers to extend on their farm sites and convince the ILO to further recommend to EU to support the establishment of modern multi-purpose storage, processing and packaging facilities for Cocoa, Cassava, Palm Oil and Vegetables in Kenema and Bo districts respectively.
Reports reaching this medium disclosed that most of the youthful population that are expected to be on the farms have abandoned their villages and hometowns and are presently engaged in ‘okada’ riding seeking greener pastures to address their immediate needs and help their families with the lack of knowledge about the profits they will generate if they invest in agriculture and agribusinesses.
Our investigations revealed that certain jobless youths ease their frustration through the intake of dangerous drugs, most of our women are unwillingly involved into sex trade increasing the spread of STIs and STDs while our widows are unhappy about the welfare of their fatherless children and that encouraging them to invest in agriculture and agribusiness will take their minds off those unwilling engagements, rather than sadness and poverty that make them more useful in the food sufficiency process.
The EU funded Opportunity Salone Program has, according to reports prioritize Cocoa, Cassava, Vegetables and Palm oil in Kenema, Bo, Bombali and Portloko Districts in Sierra Leone.
During a brief interview with Hassan Safan Dawo, Executive Secretary of the EMF, he said that the ILO – EMF relationship is timely and need more support and funds to succeed.
Dawo who studied agricultural science at Njala University of Sierra Leone, disclosed that the knowledge about profit making investment and the use of soil in the agriculture sector is far below average and that has been responsible for food insufficiency, food insecurity and poverty in Sierra Leone.
He furthered that loans are unfavorable for beginners in the Agriculture and agribusiness sector especially for the Women and Persons with Disabilities and that favourable grants will help vulnerable farmers to build on the basic foundation of their Entrepreneurship.
Secretary Dawo encouraged donors to rely on the Everybody Must Farm (EMF) Organization for the implementation of agriculture and agribusiness activities in communities.