PHOTO: Some beneficiaries of the EU Partners Program
| -EU upbeat about the Country’s prospects By Saywhar Gbaa,gbaasay@gmail.com |
GRAND BASSA, Liberia – Liberia has been experiencing improved food security since 2016, accounting for over 45% of the country’s GDP in 2010, and 76.9% percent in 2017, according to the EU.
Rural dwellers, particularly women have been leading the way since 2018 in food security through various means supported by the EU. The EU has contributed over US$2million in support efforts of the UN food agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to enhance the capacity of the Liberian government in linking research and extension services to farmers for sustainable agriculture, food security and nutrition.
The EU funds are used to strengthen integrated approaches towards more productive and sustainable agriculture and to promote inclusive sustainable growth, income diversification and to empower national and rural institutions.
The EU Partners Program is also empowering women and men in agriculture as well as in building farmers’ capacities to access and develop local markets.
During an EU-Liberia Young Media professionals’ tour of projects
sites in Grand Bassa County, it established how major groups targeted in Weazon
town, one of the 30 communities under cohot 1 of the EU Partners Program,
implemented projects earmarked for their capacity building.
The five groups in the community include Mothers Group, Smallholder Farmers,
Farmers Saving and Loan Association and Community Saving and Loan Association
in essence have made tremendous progress in improving their livelihood far ahead
of the windup of the program by December 2020.
Weazon Town is in District Number 4, the suburb of Grand Bassa County, and is largely
populated by women and children.
one of the members of the Community Saving and loan Association CSLA and a
mother of five, Meme Smith said through Concern Worldwide, they have been
saving their own money to take care of their homes and invest in farms.
According to Madam Smith, a mother of five, their style of farming has since
improved with the CSLA unlike previous times when they could not afford to get
money from their proceeds.
“For this year I’m free and happy so I got another money from the CSLA and did my cassava again to be able to help my children and myself”, she explained.
Another beneficiary, Patience Zoe who heads Mother Group in Jaye Town, Rivercess County, explained that the training acquired from Concern Worldwide has enabled them provide proper care for their children in that part of the Country.
Members of the group, Madam Zoe noted, can now cater to pregnant women, new born, provide proper care for Children and make them healthy food.
“Since the group started helping us with training, we have been able cook and eat healthy food and even eat fruits that we were not used to eating”, Zoe pointed out.
The CSLA and MG are being supported by the European Union under the Prosperous Agriculture Roadmap to Nutrition and Entrepreneurship, Reinforcing Sustainability Program.