Through FSRP support, Dadala Community is beating climate change and scaling up vegetable production
In Dadala Village, Sowa Chiefdom, Pujehun District, women have long depended on vegetable production as an important source of income and food for their families. However, farming in open fields has exposed them to climate-related challenges, making it difficult for them to produce vegetables throughout the year and earn the desired benefits from their hard work.
Many of the women in the community are heads of their households, making them more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and other challenges that affect agricultural production.
For Marian Momoh Soa, who is a Councillor said, vegetable production remains one of the main sources of income for women in Dadala. However, she told us that many of these farmers lack the support needed to expand their production.
“My people just need a little support, such as improved seeds and fertilizer,” she said.
This situation has started to change following support from the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, with funding from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP).
Dadala was selected including other 20 communities to benefit from support that includes greenhouses, improved seeds, irrigation facilities and training to help farmers increase production and better manage climate-related risks.
For farmers like Musu Bockarie, the support has opened a new door.
“This is my first time experiencing vegetable growing in a greenhouse,” she said.
Musu and other women farmers have received training on how to grow vegetables under a controlled environment. The training is helping them understand how to manage the greenhouse, use water efficiently and maintain vegetable production in a more sustainable way.
The benefits are now becoming visible.
On the 7th October, FSRP and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security joined the women of Dadala to witness their first harvest from the greenhouse. Community members, including Hon. Sheka Musa Samah, were present to celebrate the achievement and express appreciation to the Government of Sierra Leone and GAFSP for supporting the community.
For the women of Dadala, the greenhouse is more than a farming facility. It is a new opportunity to produce more food, earn more income and build greater resilience to climate change.
Their story shows that when women farmers are given the right tools, knowledge and support, they can strengthen not only their households but also the wider community.
