Just four short weeks since our land survey and the Makelakos All-Stars earn their name clearing the plot and starting to construct Hope Sakuma's IVS demonstration farm. With sequential nerica and buttercup rice harvests stretching mid-May until the end of this month the majority of our IVS teams are fully occupied but this team came through, working under our team leader Madam Ayie Bangura.
Originally planned for November the All Stars and gentlemen of Manays answered our call to make progress now before rainy season stops play and take the week clearing the land, cutting the elephant grass and making a good start with the bunding marked out by engineer Amara.
Week two sees the team construct our first bunding to keep the water in which will enable three harvests a year to be grown, intensifying rice production sustainably. If we have to divert water we'll need to line the channel with ant-hill clay rather than resource intensive concrete.
Farm Coordinator Sheku gives a quick 360 degree view of the team at work.
Week three and the team are onto the irrigation channels aiming to create ten IVS beds for nerica rice. Rice is being dried from our 13 nerica harvests ready to be nursed and planted. And from November this farm will be home to our permanent farmer field school teaching our 13 teams growing inland valley swamps the best and most sustainable way to develop them.
We're so proud of the work the Makelikos boys have achieved under expert guidance from JICA IVS specialist Mr Mohammed Turay and BRACS engineer Mr Amara Sesay and Alie Fofanah MAF M&E officer, who we thank for their dedication and enthusiasm.
FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY!
Please ❤ and share our sustainable farming journey empowering rural women to improve nutrition, food security and climate change adaptation in Sierra Leone.
