As Plan International turns 40 years, support to Youth LIVELIHOOD becomes a priority
Plan International on Two Days Field Visit to National Youth Farm at Masiaka and Proposed Youth Village in Koinadugu District.
As Plan International turns 40 years in dedicated service to Children in Sierra Leone, Youth Empowerment becomes critical. Plan is currently implementing the Post Ebola Early Recovery Strategic Framework 2015. In this plan, there is a strong focus on Livelihood support focusing on Women and Youth engagement to strengthen their income base to build their resilience against the effects of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
On Friday 13th May 2016 The Minister of Youth Affairs Mr. Bai Mahmoud Bangura teamed up with Plan International Sierra Leone on a two- day working visit to the National Youth Farm at Masiaka.
The purpose of the visit by the newly appointed Minister of Youth Affairs was to conduct a tour to update himself on project achievements and challenges and to develop a revised road map to respond to the immediate next steps of the ongoing projects.
At the Youth Farm in Masiaka, the Farm Manager Mustapha Turay briefed the Minister and team about the farm operations and show cased the different farm products including fruits and vegetables planted in this year’s farm cycle. The team was also briefed about the constraints and challenges faced by the workers and volunteers in the farm.
Plan International Sierra Leone, Acting Program Support Manager – Strategy and Program Development Mr. Joseph Konneh accompanied by the Livelihood Advisor spoke about Plan’s investment on the Youth Farm in alignment with the organization’s Post Ebola Early Recovery Strategic Framework for Action 2015.
According to the Program Manager, Plan has supported the farm with 3 bore holes and have also erected water storage tanks in strategic areas of the farm. Plan International has also provided working tools and other logistics including inputs to support the Ministry of Youth Affairs. The Plan International representative also encouraged the youth working on the farm to embrace the project as their business and make the best out of it.
The Minister was then taken on a conducted tour of the farm to interact and get a first-hand information on progress of the project.
On Saturday 14th May 2016 Plan, the Minister and Team arrived in Kabala, Koinadugu District and at the proposed site of the Youth Village in Heremakono Section, Sengbeh Chiefdom, Koinadugu District.
The Director of the youth Village, Dr. Serrie Kamara informed the visiting team that the land size 1,061 Acres spanning between Fornoya and Kompala village was provided free of charge by the people of Koinadugu District.
The proposed youth village will provide the following services: Technical Vocational Training, Personal skills and Technology Training, Small and Medium enterprise Development, Agri-Business and value addition, Marketing and services.
Plan International Sierra Leone committed to continuing support and complimenting the efforts of MOYA in promoting the livelihoods of young women and men in Koinadugu District and other parts of Sierra Leone.Plan International Sierra Leone is committed to supporting and complimenting the efforts of MOYA in promoting the livelihoods of young women and men in Koinadugu and other parts of Sierra Leone
Plan International supports Kailahun District Youths in Agri-business Project
On 13th May 2016, Plan International Sierra Leone also happily joined youth groups from across communities in Kailahun District at the official launch of a Youth Agri-business Project in Segbwema, Njaluahun Chiefdom.
The objectives of the project developed with the young people include:
- Increase productivity of cassava in the project communities by introducing high yielding varieties;
- Reduced post-harvest losses;
- Diversify Markets by creating various end products of cassava for local as wells outside consumption.
- Increase rural incomes of young people by creating employment and entrepreneurship in Agriculture (Agroindustry).
In the project overview presented by the Program Unit Manager – Kailahun, he detailed that the project will be led by the young people themselves with technical supports from Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS) District Extension Officers and Plan International Community Facilitators. Plan International will provide cassava processing equipment and materials to three (3) farm youth groups in three communities in Njaluahun Chiefdom.
The District Youth Council will be provided with a motorbike to monitor, engage and coordinate the youth farmer groups through the project cycle – growing, processing and marketing value added cassava products. The Program Unit Manager also informed the audience that each farmer youth group will own the crops, harvests, products and proceeds of their project.
The Agri-business profits generated by the young people will be invested into other projects including micro-credits for business financing and petty trading.
In the Country Director’s statement read by his Delegate, Moses Johnson (Ag. Knowledge Management and Communications Specialist), he noted that Kailahun Program Unit is implementing this project identified as a pilot with a value of $ 45,000. Plan International is pleased to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS), extension workers who will monitor the day to day running of the farm and also with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to promote cassava processing techniques and marketing through trainings.
The Country Director’s delegate also informed the young people that, through this project they will contribute to the desired impact of government’s National Ebola Recovery Strategy for Sierra Leone 2015 – 2017.
A conducted field visit to one of the proposed farm sites climaxed the occasion. The visiting team included the Plan International Country Director Delegate, the Paramount Chief Representative (Njaluahun Chiefdom), the Kailahun District Council Chairman (representative) and Councilor – Constituency 007, Ward 23, District Agriculture Officer and Agriculture Extension Officers, the District Youth Council Chairman and youth farmer group members of Pelewahun.
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