The World Food Programme (WFP) has completed its first round of conditional cash-based transfers in Falaba district as part of the cross-border, UN Peacebuilding Fund project, reaching 500 participating households which have 2,500 residents, half of them women, the UN Agency report states.
The transfers were made to facilitate the construction of small-scale irrigation systems for climate-smart agriculture in inland valley marshes.
According to the report, this aspect of the project is intended to alleviate the cultivation of rice and nutritious foods all year. In turn, this will foster social cohesion, trust and economic collaboration within and between Falaba district in Sierra Leone and Faranah prefecture in Guinea, while strengthening livelihoods, especially those of women, whilst protecting the environment.
WFP in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) trained 37 Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) extension workers in the Technical Package for Rice Production (TPRP). The TPRP was developed jointly by JICA and the MoA to promote best practices in rice cultivation for community-level food security. The trainees will use their newly acquired skills to establish farmer field schools in 140 communities in seven districts in Sierra Leone, demonstrating the benefits of nursing and transplanting of rice, adequate spacing, weeding, and timely application of fertilizer.
To further boost productivity among smallholders while supporting the MoA’s goal for increased mechanization,
WFP provided five power-tillers to high-performing farmer-based organizations (FBOs) in Moyamba, Kenema, and Pujehun districts. Ninety-seven percent of farming activities in Sierra Leone are undertaken by hand, and mostly by women, which places a high labour burden on them.
WFP participated in a workshop that developed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for school feeding in Sierra Leone. The new SOPs will enhance food storage, handling, and distribution. The exercise is part of WFP’s system strengthening agenda under outcome 5 of the Country Strategic Plan (2020-2024) in Sierra Leone.
