Four farming groups have formed in Lunsar, Sierra Leone. Each ginger farming group has 25 farmers, for a total of 40 women and 60 men. This is the first collective farming project for the farmers.
Each farmer will devote two days per week to the project while continuing to farm his/her own land in this supplemental income project. We have equipped them with the technical, leadership and project management training and mentored group leaders in project management. We’ve identified buyers and helped in solidifying relationships with local markets by negotiating business terms. The farmers, who are currently earning less that $50 per year, will earn an additional $50 from the ginger project, doubling annual income. These farmers are learning new, environmentally friendly cultivation methods, collective farming, the business side of farming and establishing relationships with buyers.
The groups will begin by planting one acre of ginger in April to sell to local markets. A successful harvest will give each man and woman an opportunity to potentially double their annual household income.
