By Sahrfoa Matturie
ActionAid, through its implementing partner Women’s Action for Human Dignity Sierra Leone (WAHD-SL), has provided farming equipment and training to women farmers in three communities in Bombali District as part of efforts to boost agricultural production and promote women’s economic empowerment.
The support was officially handed over during a stakeholder engagement and distribution ceremony held at the Makumpbana Community Hall.
Speaking at the event, WAHD-SL Director Haja Betty Alimamy Sesay thanked ActionAid for its continued commitment to supporting rural women farmers. She described the intervention as a significant contribution to improving livelihoods and promoting sustainable agriculture in rural communities.
Haja Betty urged beneficiaries to properly manage the equipment and inputs provided, stressing that they should be treated as community assets rather than personal property.
“This support belongs to the communities. We encourage all beneficiaries to use it responsibly and ensure that everyone benefits from it,” she said.
She also assured stakeholders that WAHD-SL would continue monitoring the project to ensure accountability, proper utilization, and long-term impact.
In his remarks, WAHD-SL Programme Officer Alie Amara Conteh explained that the intervention is part of a sponsorship programme covering 32 communities.
He noted that the programme is funded by students in Italy who donate portions of their lunch allowances and earnings to ActionAid, which channels the support to vulnerable communities through implementing partners.
According to Conteh, the initiative combines agricultural training with the provision of farming tools to strengthen the capacity of women farmers.
He said beneficiaries are being trained in improved agronomic practices, including appropriate planting periods, soil assessment techniques, and harvesting methods designed to increase productivity.
“We are not only providing materials but also building the knowledge and skills of women farmers so they can improve their yields and farming practices,” he said.
Items distributed included wheelbarrows, shovels, seeds, and other farming tools to improve productivity and reduce labour challenges.
Conteh disclosed that the programme is benefiting 45 women farmers in each of the three communities, bringing the total number of women beneficiaries to 135, alongside 30 men who have been included because of their role in customary land ownership systems.
Also speaking at the ceremony, ActionAid representative Edna Amie Ngegba encouraged beneficiaries to safeguard the project assets and make effective use of the training received.
She emphasized that community ownership and responsible management are essential to sustaining the project’s benefits.
As part of the support package, three generators were distributed to improve irrigation and water supply for farming activities. One generator was allocated to each of the Marmaso, Makumpbana, and Kamakorie communities, with the generator in Kamakorie also expected to support fish farming activities.
Beneficiary Isatu Kamara welcomed the intervention, describing it as a major relief for women farmers who have long struggled with inadequate tools and limited resources.
“We have suffered for a long time because we did not have the necessary support. We are hopeful that this assistance will ease many of our difficulties and help us improve our farming activities,” she said.
Stakeholders commended ActionAid and WAHD-SL for investing in women farmers, describing the initiative as a valuable contribution to food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable agricultural development in Bombali District.
