NIENI CHIEFDOM WOMENS FARMERS MULTI-PURPOSE CO-OP SOCIETY

NIENI CHIEFDOM WOMEN FARMERS MULTI-PURPOSE COOPERATIVE SOCIETY

Motto: FEED THE PEOPLE

INFORMATION LEAFLET

Sierra Leone is a small country on the West Coast of Africa, which has a total population of about four (4) Million people. About 80% of this population is directly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Subsistence agriculture is their main occupation but this economic sub-sector is inefficient and developing at a very slow pace. Therefore, food production is very low and cannot cope with the demands of the growing population. According to the UNDP Report, Sierra Leone is rated as the least develop country in the world.

In Sierra Leone, we have twelve districts; Koinadugu district is the largest and least developed district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. In Koinadugu District, we have eleven chiefdoms including Nieni where we are operating. Nieni is the largest and poorest chiefdom of the eleven chiefdoms in the Koinadugu District.

The population of Nieni is about one hundred and twenty five thousand, before the war. Ninety-five percent of this populace is engage actively in agriculture subsistenly while few are engage in vegetable production and backyard gardening. Few others are engage in artisanal trades, such as weaving, baskets making and raffia bags and blacksmithing production.

Coffee is grown in large quantity together with rice, which is the staple food. Women are more or less engage in groundnut farming and vegetable and backyard gardening activities where they earn income to build themselves and their children for their daily livelihood.

Coffee, for example is sold to the wrong-buying agents, who in most cases, adopt the barter trade device, so as to cheat the poor farmers. In some cases, coffee is being smuggled to neighboring countries, Guinea and Liberia and beyond to be sold.

Because of the above name factors, NIENI CHIEFDOM WOMEN FARMERS MULTI-PURPOSE COOPERATIVE SOCIETY came together and formed this Society whose aim is to feed the people and at the same time help streamline a proper marketing system for their produces in the chiefdom. Before the war, the Society can boast of food for work, small funds and working materials for the sustainability of the Society.

When the rebel war entered the chiefdom in early 1998, with its accompanied and brutal destruction of lives- maiming, killing, looting; and also destruction of farmers’ properties.

The Society lost everything including some abled members that finance the Society. Most of its members fled from this chiefdom and sought refuge in Freetown – the Capital City and Neighboring countries for safety of their lives.

Peace is presently now in the country. All of the Society members had returned to their chiefdom and are now living in deplorable condition. Through the hard work of the Society Executive, small scale farming activities had now being started to create a self-sustaining and sufficiency system for them.

This Society is eagerly looking forward to other NGOs for assistance especially for financial, technical and In-Kind assistance including shelter, micro-credit, food and non-food items at the moment. The present condition is not favorable and only your support will build up self-reliance in the chiefdom.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY These objectives of the Society are as follows:

To increase food production by cultivating acres of land, using improve methods of farming. In order to provide more food in the community. To provide job opportunities to the members and residents of the communities. To justify the role of women in Framing through the provision of appreciable renumeration. To improve the living standards of the members from the use of profits and facilities accruing from the Society’s activities. To foster unity among its members by arousing their interest in the self-help and agricultural activities. To encourage and maintain cultural activities of the people of the Nieni Chiefdom as a whole. To foster relationship with local and international orgainsations. To secure funds for the sick and care for the needy people death/bereavement of members. To promote social activities in the Chiefdom.