The Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Sierra Leone, Gerald Hatler, paid a working visit to two communities benefiting from the BAFS Project Sierra Leone in the Koinadugu district in Sierra Leone.The Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Sierra Leone, Gerald Hatler, paid a working visit to two communities benefiting from the BAFS Project Sierra Leone in the Koinadugu district in Sierra Leone.
During the visit, beneficiaries of the project shared their experiences of #livelihood transformation resulting from different intervention activities centered on the adoption of cashew farming, climate-smart agricultural practices and increase in access to finance through the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) scheme.
In the Sagbangba community where 20 cashew beneficiary #farmers expressed their gratitude to the EU for the support, the farmers showed evidence of their fruiting cashew farms and the intercropping approach which provides them with food and income while they waited to harvest their cashew.
“Solidaridad West Africa trained us on how to nurse and grow cashew and supplied us with food crops like groundnuts and cassava for intercropping. The sale of these crops has provided us with additional income to cater for our families,” said Mariama Barrie, a smallholder farmer in the Samgbangba community.
In the Kafogo community, Gerald Hatler interacted with 31 beneficiaries from a women dominated group supported by Solidaridad and partners. The women took turns to explain the benefit of the Village Savings and Loan Association which is the only “bank” in their community. The women attested to the many challenges the scheme has helped to address. They indicated that through the #VSLA some women have been able to access loans to expand their petty trading, hire labour for their farms, take care of sick relatives, and pay for school  items for their kids.
The Boosting Agriculture and Food Security project has impacted the lives of 483 smallholder farmers in 18 #communities in Koinadugu district mainly #women and their households
The BAFS project is funded by the European Union under its 11th European European Development Fund.  Solidaridad West Africa and The Cotton Tree Foundation are Grantees of the BAFS Project.

BAFS Governance and Organization

The BAFS Project is supervised and implemented through the cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the National Authorizing Office and the Delegation of the European Union.

MAF

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) the lead ministry overseeing the agricultural sector as well as food security issues. It is responsible for policy making, strategic planning, data collection, monitoring and evaluation and the enforcement of regulations. Additionally, the role of government is to provide an enabling environment, conducive for private sector growth and national development as stated in component. MAF is coordinating and overseeing implementation of BAFS and its components under the different Ministry departments.

NAO

National Authorization Office

National Authorizing Office (NAO) is the principal management and executing agency within the framework of the co-operation between the European Union EU and Sierra Leone, representing the Government in all operations financed from the fund resources managed by the commission and the Bank. The NAO is part of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and is the contracting authority for most of the components under BAFS.

EU

European Union

The BAFS project is part of the overall EU support to the Economic Partnership Agreement Development Programme (PAPED) and financed under the 11th European Development Fund. The Member States of the European Union (EU) have decided to link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders

 

Comprehensive National Soil Survey

The survey is intended to fill the gap in knowledge of the status of the agroclimatic/agroecological zones land use, soil fertility, land suitability and water quality at the semi-detailed scale and ensure improved and sustained crop production in the face of climate change.

Integrated Pest Management

Through the distribution of motorbikes, pesticides, pheromone traps, GPS, etc, with funding from the EU in SL, we continue to intensify our intervention strategies in the fight against the infestation of Fall Army Worm currently destroying crops and bringing massive economic loss to farmers.

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