Projects In Africa: Women in Action for Development

SIERRA LEONE ($4,000)
Food Production
Project Coordinator - Adama Bundu

100 rural women from Mayenkineh, on the outskirts of Freetown, are participating in this one-year project.

WAD is a current partner. The additional funds will be used to expand and sustain their current project. WAD will conduct a workshop on mass production, processing and marketing as well as revolving loans. Beneficiaries will mass produce cassava, groundnuts, potatoes, yams and fruits. Each woman will receive a loan of $47 and will repay $50 within six months. Each woman will be able to earn a monthly income of $78, from which she will make a loan payment of $8, $11 will be used for expansion and sustainability of the business, $11 will be saved, and $48 will be available as income.

A recently received project report states, “We have successfully organized a workshop on mass food production, processing and marketing on January 30 2009, and granted 100 loans on January 31. All of the current recipients are expanding their individual farms. In addition to the old crops, we have introduced other crops such as pawpaw, Chinese corn, okra and beans of various types. We have expanded the project farm from 1½ to 3 acres.

From Harold Johnson’s report, “These women are still doing well with their work and they have done well with the last funds you sent. They have added more women to their number. Backyard gardening is really good for these women who have shown their skills in improving backyard gardening in their community.

Project Completed: December 31, 2010