Students have had a successful first term
October News
As we are approaching the end of the first term of the new academic year, as well as harvest time for farmers, we would like to thank all our supporters and friends around the world for helping to make this all possible. As students are preparing for their first term exams, the farmers with whom we work are preparing for harvest. It’s been a great year, despite the difficulties of the flood. We at SHARP, and the communities we serve, are very hopeful for the future. With the support of great friends there is much that can be accomplished, lives are improved, and the world is a better place.
When we asked Dada K and Kinni about the biggest challenges they face with their peanut farm, they mention the hard labor of digging, cutting and clearing. All the work is done without modern machinery. Despite the challenges, they have had a successful year.
Peanut Farm
In Sierra Leone in order to avoid rent increases, rent is paid in advance. Many thanks to our supporter, Dan Woodard, for paying our building rent for three years. Our rent is now paid through the 2023-2024 school year. Children are being given a hope and a future!
Face to Face Online Learning
The face to face online learning program with students at the Education First School in New York has begun. Adult students in New York assist our students as they work through on line tutoring programs. This has been exciting for students at the Empowering Children School, as they explore new learning resources and make global connections.
Farm News
Dada K and Kinni say the hardest part of peanut farming is cutting the tress and brush, clearing the grass, and digging. The exercise makes them physically fit. It can take months to clear a field.
Farmers formed a work club, currently made up of 10 men. Club members give labor and get labor. The members take turns working on each other’s farms. The members’ first visit to Dada K and Kinni’s farm was to help with digging. All ten members came two times, and worked on a targeted area. With the help of 10 men, a lot was accomplished and they will be able to plant a much bigger area. They will now spend 10 days working on other farms. Working together, the farmers are able to accomplish much more.
“This is the labor we pay to get a labor service.” Dada K and Kinni
This farm is a beneficiary of one of our seed bank loans. They are hoping to harvest in 6 weeks. In this community farming is a manual activity with tools made by local blacksmiths. This technique has been around for centuries. Farming could be more efficient and sustainable, with higher yields, if farmers had access to modern technology and equipment. The mission of SHARP’s agriculture program is aimed at sustainable agriculture, and increased income for farmers through our trainings and exposure to modern farming techniques.
