By Ben Bolland | Project leader
Thank you for opening this june 2021 newsletter.
COVID-19 update
Worldwide we still struggle with the COVID-19 visue. Although the number of registered cases in Sierra Leone is relatively low with currently 4963 cases and 84 deaths reported, it still dominates daily life in the entire country.
And where in Western countries vaccination coverage is rising fast (in EU countries between 16% and 82%, in USA: 46% is fully vaccinated) the vaccination campaign in Sierra Leone reached only about 98,000 people, which is 1.3% of the 7.5 million inhabitants. (Source: JHopkins resource center).
Seeds for Growth in the Malal Chiefdom
Since our february 2021 news letter, our program manager, mr M.S. Kamara started a new cropping season project, based on Rice cropping combined with a few other crops like sorghum, benni, cassave and groundnuts. The process is as follows:
RICE farming started with brushing, burning and clearing in january until march. April to may is used for ploughing and seed harrowing when normally the first rains fall in the chiefdom. Most of the cut down trees remain in the farm while seeds are sown. Sorghum , Benni beans, cassava and other crops are intercrop with rice. See photo's on top.
Harvesting of rice is expected at the end of august as the selected rice is a 90-days variety.
The remaining crops will be harvested in october to ensure fhe best outcome for the farmers and recovery of the SFG-loans making this farming scheme less riksy than the maize farming.
The Weather conditions can be disastrous in Sierra Leone.
During the weeks days of the ploughing and seed harrowing, there was a very serious thunderstorm in the first half of April in the Malal Chiefdom, which caused massive destruction to many houses, properties and foodstuffs, thus further frustrating the lives of these already vulnerable people.
At Rochen town alone more than forty strong houses were destroyed while all over the chiefdom with weaker mud thatched houses were massively destroyed. See photo below.
Of course this has affected the farming situation in a genative way, still the team is expecting reasonable harvest outcomes, thanks to the combined cropping strategy
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES, a follow up.
During our last newsletter we informed you about the Government’s plan to support farmers to buy asian tractors for the land cultivation to improve the yields and income of the farmers. Due to the COVID situation new initiatives have been postponed. Therefore, our program manager mr. M.S. Kamara remains alert for new openings to join his opportunity when it restarts again.
NEXT STEPS: Please help us to make the next step forward!
We are a small team, committed to Seeds for Growth to improve livelihoods in rural Sierra Leone. But this small team has limited sources to create a bigger IMPACT.
Therefore we would like you to help us to find new members to volunteer for the team.
Do you happen to know friends or other connections in your network, who could help us, or support us in our cause to improve the livelihoods of farmers in rural Sierra Leone?
Please pass this news letter to them and connect them to us!
Why not consider for yourself to support us? We ‘d love to have an online chat with you about the options.
Just drop me an email and I'll be happy to arrange an online meeting: ben.bolland@bevon.nl
By Ben Bolland | Project leader
By Ben Bolland | Project leader
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