By- Agnes Sia Bangalie – +232 79 881088
Women in Sierra Leone especially in the eastern part of Sierra Leone specifically Kenema district, have during the recent GET-Ahead training sessions by the International Labour Organization of the United Nations for Everybody Must Farm members, have presented their determination for food sufficiency and eradication of poverty in Sierra Leone.
The training sessions that were spearheaded by ILO GET-Ahead trainers, James Koroma and Samuel Kenneh Jr. was held in the conference room of the IDA forestry quarters of the Ministry of Agriculture offered by Phillip Ginna Conteh, the District Agriculture Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture.
During the final day of the five days intensive training workshop, the District Field Agriculture Officer of the Everybody Must Farm (EMF) Organization, Kenema district, Doris Moriba, said that women among whom are widows, orphans and the aged suffer marginalization and inappropriate support to make agriculture a profit making business.
Doris added that lack of proper knowledge and adequate support among farmers especially the women has been responsible for the cry of hunger, food insufficiency and food insecurity in Sierra Leone. Adding that the method and approach of the International Labour Organization (ILO) through the European Union Opportunity Salone Program that has brought members of the Everybody Must Farm Organization closer as partners has raised their determination, will and power to compel food sufficiency and eradicate poverty by involving more women to go to the farms and grow more local foods like vegetables, cassava, cocoa, palm oil among others and promoting diversification of food among the people.
Doris Moriba is one of the most prominent and effective young women in the Kenema district that has been given the opportunity by the President of Everybody Must Farm (EMF), Sfano Njawa Sesay, to lead EMF in the fight against hunger, joblessness and poverty in Kenema district.
She said that the wisdom of the President of EMF appointing women in leadership positions is in line with women empowerment and gender equity and that she will do her best to convince other women, young and old to support the Everybody Must Farm campaign for food self-sufficiency, food Security, self-reliance and economic growth in Sierra Leone.