Kenema Farmers Gain Agribusiness Skills to Compete in Modern Markets

Under the initiative “Empowerment through Climate-Resilient Agriculture Value Chains,” the Unity Women Agribusiness Cooperative has completed a five-day intensive training on business and entrepreneurship at the Chinese Farm in Kenema, supported by UN Women.

The program, which ended on Saturday, October 25, 2025, was facilitated by Agribusiness Lead Trainers Mary Alpha and Juliet J. Fornah.

The training brought together representatives from 25 Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs) across all 16 chiefdoms in Kenema District, equipping them with vital business management and market-readiness skills. Participants explored key modules such as business planning, marketing, operations, finance, risk management, and building support networks essential tools for transforming smallholder farming into sustainable agribusiness ventures.

In an interview, Kadijah Isata Jalloh, UN Women’s Program Specialist for Women’s Economic Empowerment, said the initiative aims to shift farmers’ mindsets from subsistence to commercial farming.

“Our focus is to help farmers build the skills to manage their cooperatives effectively and expand business opportunities for financial accessibility,” she explained. “This initiative not only promotes food security and income growth but also contributes to economic resilience and women’s empowerment.”

Jalloh emphasized that the intervention aligns with UN Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy, which targets the structural and financial barriers women face in the business and agricultural sectors. She further highlighted that the approach complements Sierra Leone’s Feed Salone Project, particularly Pillars 3 and 6, which focus on agribusiness growth and market development.

Participants expressed optimism about applying their new skills to improve productivity and profitability. Haja Hawa Ngiawo, a member of the Mungilato Farmers Association, said the training had rekindled her passion for farming.

“UN Women has made farming more inspiring. We’ve learned how to turn our harvest into real business opportunities,” she said.

John Idrissa Konneh, leader of the Munafa Farmers Association and auditor of the Unity Women Agribusiness Cooperative, described the training as transformational.

“We now understand how to manage proceeds profitably something that has been a major challenge for years,” he stated.

While celebrating the gains, participants also appealed for additional financial and mechanical support to complement their new knowledge. Margaret Damba, from the Goyila Farmers Association, noted that although the cooperatives have received sufficient seeds, more mechanization and funding are needed to fully capitalize on the training’s benefits.

“We have the knowledge and the seeds, but we need financial and mechanical support to put everything into practice,” she said.

The five-day program concluded with a renewed sense of purpose among the trainees, who are expected to share their knowledge with over 750 members within their cooperatives.

The initiative marks a major step in building a generation of business-minded farmers in Kenema capable of driving agricultural transformation, boosting rural incomes, and contributing to Sierra Leone’s economic growth.