On Saturday 14th December 2019, 155 farmers received certificates of completion of the Farmer Field School Training from the Lifeline Nehemiah Projects. These are the fourth cohort of trainees adding up to 585 farmers who have gone through the training in the Gorama Mende Chiefdom, Kenema District.
In 2016, LifeLine received funds from the Big Lottery through LifeLine Network International (LNI) to train farmers in the Gorama Mende Chiefdom, whose livelihood had shifted from Agriculture to Mining. Taking them off the mining sector to the Agricultural sector was high on our agenda.
As a way of encouraging them, we established the seeds, tools and cash loan schemes for all farmers including women and persons with disabilities.
One of the beneficiary farmers said she can now calculate and negotiate the prices of her produce because of the Literacy and Numeracy training she has got from the Farmer Field School.
Speaking to the farmers and community stakeholders, Prince Tommy Williams, said, ” the graduation ceremony has marked the end of this specific project, but not the end of the operations of Lifeline Nehemiah Projects with the Gorama Mende Chiefdom” and he continued, “we will continue to work with the people of Gorama Mende Chiefdom because we are here to stay.”
The Director of Agriculture for Kenema District, Mr. Philip G. Conteh, encouraged farmers to do their best in the farming sector where the proceeds are always predictable as compared to the mining sector, where the proceeds are unpredictable. “Though the Chiefdom is one of the hard to reach places within the District, I will continue to advocate and make plans so that farmers here are benefited,” he said.