Mo crosses the Sakuma for a big meeting for Hope Sakuma with eleven villages coming to talk. Everyone's excited to see the map Mo's brought along. Amazingly, not a single soul present has ever seen a map of Sanda Magbolonto. The ladies really appreciate their new t-shirts but want to know whether we can extend to other villages and make a big launch - they'll even buy their own lappa! These ladies are serious!
Proceedings get underway and Rebekah, chair of RoYeima tells the crowd that her village was very happy to join Hope Sakuma because we’re for everyone not just the Bangura brothers, and we've proved it by growing on everyone’s land not just the Bangura brothers land. She wants other villages to join.
Sheku Bangura, manager of the Sanda Magbolonoto ABC (agricultural business centre), explains that he's been following Hope Sakuma's progress and likes how we involve farmers. He's very encouraged. Growing drought-resistant crops and cash crops will help make our communities more resilient and improve livelihoods. Mo’s bowled over to learn from Mr Sheku, that Hope Sakuma really has created the largest cassva farm in Sanda and perhaps Port Loko and our boliland rice is the most rice seen in the Chiefdom for many a year.
Andrew is very happy to hear the praise for the farm and for the hard work of everyone who has made it so and tells us that the rice is indeed so much that the ladies of Hope Sakuma will have to move to the boli lands for a month to complete the harvest.
Mr Sheku continues with some very heartening news - Hope Sakuma is the organization in Sanda doing most to involve and encourage women to participate equally. Because of this 210 women from seven other villages want to join forces!
"The women in Sanda are always smiling. For us men we know that is a good thing. The women like that they are treated equally, that they are invited to every meeting and can speak freely and for themselves and to be listened to. We must continue to listen to our women"
Over plates of plentiful rice and cassava leaf Mr Sheku promises to take Mo to see the tractor and the meeting concludes with Hope Samuka’s seven villages – Manays, Masillah, RoGbin, RoGabaran, RoTain, Ro Rainte, RoYeima, new addition Mabonkane and Makatay, Daimba and Masana, the three villages surrounding our boli lands breaking bread together.
FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY!
Please ❤ and share our sustainable farming journey empowering rural women with climate-smart technology to improve nutrition, food security, livelihoods and adaptation in Sierra Leone.
