Active Project
Food Security Project
Agricultural development is the main engine of socio-economic growth and poverty reduction in a country. Over 800 million people worldwide still suffer from hunger or malnutrition. Therefore, the association is focused on food security with the aim of providing a foundation for income generation and improved access to nutritious food. Secondly, agriculture enhances the people’s economic status and strengthens the nation’s Foreign Exchange. It also promotes economic growth, national productivity, and social cohesion. It is a powerful “equalizer”, opening doors for all to lift themselves out of poverty. It is critical to the nation’s attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Due to those listed reasons, the war victim’s association decided to invest in agriculture because we believe that it will benefit our members, the community, and the nation as a whole. Studies also link agriculture to economic growth and improved productivity. This can ultimately lead to higher income and improved economic performance of farmers and their communities. As Sierra Leone has a low socioeconomic statistic, it is important that indigenous groups exist with the principal objective of scaling up agriculture and empowering their communities through food security.
Community Integration
After 11 years of civil conflict, the government officially declared that the war was over in 2002. With the return to a more peaceful time, the reunification and integration process has been a great hope for the Amputees and War Wounded Victims in Sierra Leone. In this vein, about 888 Amputees benefited from the Norwegian Friends of Sierra Leone (SLV) resettlement programs in isolated communities in various parts of the country. Today, they have little or no attention, which has forced the community to rely on begging on the streets for survival.
According to the 2015 comprehensive food security and vulnerability analysis study conducted by the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 49.8 percent of households were food insecure in 2015, compared to 45 percent in 2010. That is, they consumed limited or insufficient food to maintain a healthy and active life. The global hunger index of 2021 indicates that Sierra Leone’s hunger level is categorized as serious. As of 2021, the percentage of the population that is undernourished is estimated at 26.2 percent.
Our overall assessment is that our colleagues are not only vulnerable but also fall within the percentage of the population that is undernourished and victims of exclusion. Therefore, the present leadership decided to engage in agriculture in Port-Loko, Tonkolili, and Pujehun districts. Our desire is to remove our colleagues from sex work and street begging and involve them in a meaningful livelihood and economic empowerment project.