The Chief Executive Officer of the Dibia Agricultural Farmers Association (DAFA) with Motto; ‘Hunger Is Optional’ Mr. Salieu B. Bangura has called on Government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to come to their aid to alleviate hunger.
Mr. Bangura said since its inception on 20th August, 2018, DAFA has been fully involved in Inland Valley Swamp (IVS) cultivation, adding that they are at the moment managing to cultivate five hectares of rice under severe constraints.
He explained that the rationale behind the project was to empower youth and women in Karene district who also receive monthly salary as upkeep for their families and loved ones out of his hard earned cash.
Founder and Executive Director disclosed that DAFA is registered with the Karene District Council and the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Food Security.
Mr. Bangura recalled that DAFA cultivated two hectares of groundnut and 28.43 hectares of Inland valley swamp rice in 2019, adding that the harvest season is already near for the harvest of another 30 hectares of IVS swamp rice.
He furthered that he was inspired in 2018 when he visited his home town and a breakfast was prepared for him by his mother as was about to eat children came around and had no option but to share the food with them.
He pointed out that such thinking came to mind that the community was short of food, hence the reason for his venture to help alleviate hunger.
Mr. Bangura explained that he immediately met with the Chief and the Village Headman who summoned an urgent night meeting and discussed the challenges girls are going through in the community.
During the meeting Mr. Bangura informed that the Chief asked his subjects what were their constraints and that of their children?
He said they later discovered that one of the key constraints children were going through was hunger and food insufficiency to sustain their lives.
Mr. Bangura described food insufficiency in any community as a source of abuse of girls which was graciously endorsed by the village elders.
He said the only solution to such a problem is to embark on farming with a full community ownership of the project, ensuring that they formed part of the whole process.
Mr. Bangura thus promised to provide two types of seeds and tools as a start up of the initiative for the organization consisting of 150 members, including 75 women farmers, segmented into various working groups.
The CEO concluded by stating that DAFA is intends to embark on tree planting in the nearest future, and therefore called on Government and non-governmental organizations to come to the rescue of DAFA farmers with the needed support to improve the standards of living young people in that part of the district.
