On Wednesday 9, November 2022, Green scenery through the implementation of the Pro-Poor land Governance Project(IAPG11) supported by Christian aid, supported over five hundred disadvantaged womens groups in Portlokoo and Bombali districts with agricultural support tools and seedlings (groundnut, hoes etc). The intervention was done essentially to help boost women’s agricultural productivity aimed at addressing food security, which has the potential of enhancing the social and economic well-being of disadvantaged women groups that have been adversely affected by acute poverty due to the activities and operations of multinational companies in the agric sector in the two districts.
In 2021 with support from Christian, Green Scenery established VSLA women’s groups in thirty communities in Puejehun, Port Loko and Bombali districts respectively. The advent of the VSLA has helped to uplift the social and economic well-being of disadvantaged women groups in the thirty (IAPG11) piloted communities. The organisation establishes twenty women’s groups, twenty-five members per each in twenty communities and supports the groups with Village Savings and Loans assistance. This was done to enable them to engage meaningfully in small-scale agric businesses.
As a result of the growing levels of impact of the VSLA on the lives of women, Green scenery with support from Christian aid provided additional agricultural seedling supports to twenty women groups in Portloko and Bombali districts respectively. The action will enable women groups to meaningfully engage in small-scale agric businesses that will have the propensity of increasing members’ contributions into the VSLA boxes.
Zainab W. Kamara, women’s Chairlady, Worehyama community, Yankaysa Section Bombali district applauded Green Scenery’s work as unique and laudable in meeting the local needs of the disadvantaged communities, especially women. She said, the additional support provided by Green Scenery is for the second plating session and promised to adequately use the support for its intended purpose. She concludes by saying that the support provided by Green scenery has added value to women in their respective community and even at the household level as resource generated from the VSL through membership contributions has helped to maximise their potential hence addressing their social, economic and even community needs which they have been lacking for years.
She called on Green Scenery and development partners, especially Christain aid to replicate the VSLA support in other communities that most often ask for such support, she concluded.
