A Graduate’s Dream: Supporting Farmers and Revitalizing Agriculture in Sierra Leone

“Working with farmers and providing farmer field training on setting up nurseries and managing their cashew crops has been a rewarding experience.”

For Amara Amson Bangura, 35, these words embody the fulfilment he has found as a field officer with Solidaridad in Sierra Leone. Recruited in 2022 under the European Union ’s Jobs and Growth Programme, Amara’s role has been instrumental in transforming his own life and that of thousands of farmers across the northern region of the country.

Before joining Solidaridad, Amara’s journey was marked by challenges, even though he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in General Agriculture from Njala University, one of Sierra Leone’s premier institutions. Despite his qualifications, securing employment proved difficult, and years of searching yielded no success.

“Words can’t express how I felt the day I received the news that I had been selected by Solidaridad West Africa as a Programme Officer under the European Union’s Jobs and Growth Programme,” says Bangura.

Coming from a family of farmers, Amara had always aspired to work as an agricultural officer. His first professional opportunity placed him in Port Loko, northern Sierra Leone,? where he became a key figure in Solidaridad’s Developing an Inclusive and Sustainable Cashew Agroforestry Value Chain project. The Developing an Inclusive and Sustainable Cashew Agroforestry Value Chain (DISCA-VC) project is a four-year initiative supported by the European Union to strengthen the cashew value chain in the Bombali, Port Loko, Kambia, and Tonkolili districts.?

The project focuses on improving food security for rural communities, creating decent employment opportunities for farmers and processors, and addressing biodiversity loss.

Through his role, Amara, worked with 3,743 farmers to plant 120,000 polyclonal cashew seedlings across 3,000 acres in 80 communities in the region.

For Bangura, adapting to the responsibilities of working with rural farmers, identifying challenges, visiting farmlands, managing emails, participating in virtual meetings, and producing monthly reports was a new experience. However, he quickly adjusted to the demands of the role.

“I learned a lot from the programme, and I finally had the opportunity to apply my university education in a real-world context and grow professionally," Amara explains. “Working with farmers and providing Farmer Field Training on setting up nurseries and managing their cashew crops was a rewarding experience.”

One of Amara’s key contributions was facilitating Farmer Field training on nursery management, lining, pegging, transplanting, intercropping, and Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices. He worked alongside Solidaridad’s technical experts to equip farmers with the needed skills to maximize productivity while conserving natural resources.?

Impact Beyond Training

Farmers in the region did not only benefit from the technical support but also from the connections Amara promoted between them and Solidaridad. These relationships created a sense of trust and partnership, ensuring the sustainability of the programme’s impact.

For Amara, the experience also brought personal and professional growth.

“This role enhanced my communication skills, field monitoring capabilities, and ability to produce well-structured reports,” he said. “It also taught me how to effectively engage with farmers, partners, and donors.”

“Working on the DISCA-VC project provided me with extensive experience in the field,” he said. “

A Vision for the Future

Amara’s time with the project has inspired him to continue serving farmers. He aspires to continue advancing agricultural practices, promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture, and creating opportunities for rural farmers.?

“This four-year initiative gave me the chance to start my career, and I am proud to have contributed to the transformation of agriculture in Sierra Leone,” he says. “I hope to remain part of Solidaridad’s journey to empower farmers and strengthen value chains.”

The? Developing an Inclusive and Sustainable Cashew Agroforestry Value Chain initiative falls under the European Union Jobs and Growth Programme, which aims to support the government of Sierra Leone in creating employment opportunities, strengthening cashew value chains, and improving market access.

?“Working with Solidaridad has been a rewarding experience. It has not only changed my life but has also helped transform the lives of thousands of farmers,” Amara indicates.

Through initiatives like the Developing an Inclusive and Sustainable Cashew Agroforestry Value Chain, Solidaridad continues to demonstrate the power of agriculture in creating jobs, enhancing food security, and improving livelihoods in Sierra Leone.?

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