Farmers are now receiving seed loans for both peanuts and vegetables, once they’ve prepared their fields for planting. While farmers prefer to plant peanuts due to their low fertilizer requirements and strong yields, peanut seeds are costly. We are able to reach more farmers by providing vegetable seeds, though these crops require more effort and additional fertilizer.
Ibrahim Kamara visited Mariatu Bangura’s farm following this year’s seed distribution. Mariatu received corn, pepper, and cucumber seeds. Last year, she received a peanut seed loan and was able to save enough seed for planting peanuts this year.
Mariatu has four children, all attending Empowering Children School in Newton Village. The youngest is in pre-K, and the oldest is in the 6th grade. During the visit, Ibrahim interviewed Mariatu about her family’s farming efforts. Read the interview below.
What is your name?
My name is Mariatu Bangura
How many people are in your family?
I live with my husband and our four children. Together, we work on our small family farm. Farming is not just our way of life; it’s our survival, our hope, and our future.
What crops do you grow?
We grow peanuts and vegetables; whatever we can manage with the strength of our hands and the little we have.
Did you attend school as a child?
I didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, but I have learned so much from life on the land.
What is the biggest challenge to farming for your family?
One of the biggest challenges we face is the physical work of preparing the farm. Brushing the fields, clearing the land, and plowing… It’s all very hard without proper tools or support. And even after all of that effort, many of the vegetables we grow won’t do well unless we have access to manure and fertilizers.
How has SHARP helped you?
The help from SHARP has been such a blessing to me and my family. They’ve supported us with seeds and farming tools, and honestly, that’s the biggest part of the work. Without seeds, you can’t even begin to farm! What SHARP is doing for us farmers every year is nothing short of wonderful. They are standing with us, helping us to stand on our own feet. I want to encourage them to continue this support because it’s working. It’s changing lives.
Did you attend the training SHARP conducted with the Ministry of Agriculture?
I was able to attend the training, which opened my eyes to better methods of planting and caring for our crops. Now, every planting season I receive seed loans through SHARP, and it’s made a real difference in our lives.
What are the main tools you use?
On the farm, I mostly use hoes and rakes. I use watering cans to keep the plants alive. These simple tools- machetes, hoes, rakes, shovels- they make the hard work just a bit easier and I truly value them.
What are some tools you would like to use in the future?
Looking ahead, our fields have a lot of roots and stumps, which make it tough to work the land. I would love to see SHARP explore tools and machines that could uproot these stumps and plow larger areas. That kind of support would save us so much time and energy and allow us to increase our production.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I may not have had the chance to sit in a classroom, but through farming and with the help of SHARP, I’m building a future for my children, and for that I am deeply grateful.
