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Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Project Highlights - Building resilient communities through climate smart and market-driven production for improved food security and nutrition in Sierra Leone (OSRO/SIL/200/IRE)

Attachments

Objective

To improve the production of vegetable growers, who are mostly women and young people, and vulnerable populations, to increase their food security and nutrition and strengthen their resilience.

Activities implemented

• Distributed 45.5 kg of 14 different varieties of vegetable seeds, tools, and one tricycle per district to 1 500 households organized in 50 farmer-based organizations (FBOs) across the five districts.

• Established ten demonstration farms and five greenhouses (one per district) managed by lead farmers.

• Identified 50 people, including 40 women, as lead farmers (one member per FBO) in charge of training and supporting networks of farmers (members and non-members), mobilizing farmers for training, as well as maintenance and care of the demonstration farms and greenhouses.

• Trained 500 people (ten members per FBO) in governance, financial management and leadership; good agricultural practices (climate-smart and agroecological); organic liquid fertilizer production and its application; postharvest loss management; integrated pest management; business meetings and market linkages; village savings and loans associations (VSLA) methodology and food-based dietary guidelines and food groups.

• Transformed the 50 FBOs into VSLA and trained all members on village savings and loan methodology.

• Trained 84 nutritionists on food and nutrition in food based dietary guidelines and food groups who in turn trained all members of the FBOs at demonstration farms, along with cooking classes.