TIDSDAY, Vol. 15, No. 5727, Page 41
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
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BusinessWORLD
vaJue addition in Africa has offered women fanners another income stream, improving "veli· hoods and food securil}', and making them smile, !hanks to the United Slates Agency for International Developmentfunded project tagged Unleashing the Power of Cassava (UPoCA). lmplemented in seven African countries-Nigeri a, DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone-by the Imemalional Institute of Tropical Agriculture. the project has benefited thousands of fanners in these countries. According to the International Institute' of Tropical Agriculture.. the Tongea Women fanners in Sandeyalu communiI}' are filled with joy. Located 486 Ian from Freetown , Sierra Leone, SandeyaJu was once ovenun by rebels in 1991. The entire population of nearly 4,000 people look refuge in camps in Kenerna where dJey lived for
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Cassava Gives FarmerS .a Lif.eline over 10 years !lS internally dis· . placed pe""ns (IDPs) until the war was declared over in 2002. Interactions in 'the camp brought the Sandeyalu people together to [ann a fonnidable association called 'Tongea women's development association' comprising of 54 women and four men. It was named after one of the three mountain peaks overlooking their home township called Tongea. The group initially raised funds through "coping mecha· nisms;' such as cutting and selling firewood and soap making as lOPs in Kenema. With the advent of the DTA· UPoCA project and subsequent inauguration of a microprocessing center (MPC) , cassaV'. is now an added financial window of opporrunil}' to farmers . Incomes from USAID projects such as UPoCA have helped the people of Sandeyalu in
rebuilding their community. Marie Borbor, a member of the Tongea women'~ development ~iation, d,escribed the DTA·UPoCA intervention and the microprocessing center as a "living bank" in Sandeyalu community. "Now we can fulfill our financial obligations to educate our children and improve our livelilloods. We will do all within oW" power to sustain the MPC as a viable asset. Long Live the American people," she said. Another member of the group. Mariama Koi·Braima, Secretary General.of the group, said. "We have come a long way to where we are today. The journey has not been easy most times but we have detellllined to·Slay together. Handing over this MPC to our group is going 10 reinforce cohesion among our members as it has dernon-
strnted that worthy ambitions can be achieved through unity for a common good." The United States Ambassador to Sierrn Leone. Michael S. Owen, described the transformation at SandeyaJu . and the resilience of the Tongea Women as "wonderful:' "We are very happy 10 panner with you in all you have accomplished in these years. We are very happy to be your panner. NOl too many years ago. this town was in ruins but, now, look at what you have accomplished. We are very proud to work with you," Owen said while handing over the keys of the DTA· UPoCA·buill cassava microprocessing center to the Tongea women fanners. Since 2009, DTA·UPoCA scientists have backstopped the Tongea women farmers. opening up more than five heClareS of their land for cassava culova·
tion and disnibuting over 2.soo bundles of improved cassava varieties to more than 500 cassava farmers. Braima James, Program Manager. llTA·UPoCA, explained that in March this year. 60 women and 8 men received hands-on training in cassava processing. product devel9pmem, and packaging in Sandeyalu town. According to James, this was the most exciting capacity building exercise they had experienced as a moup and that the outcome was almost spontaneous. . ' From their market facilil}' built for the township, the group immediately put their tntining into practice the following day. They prnduced their own home·made gari which was put on the market at the next peri· odic market day." he said. By this action, the Tongea
women had a commercial . taste of income from processed cassava roots. But cassava processing in the community market facility carried WHh it some problems, such as contamination of cassava prnducts by goat and sheep droppings. This prompted the group to stan a cassava processing .center. The farmers provided land, unskilled labor, local materials such as timber, bush poles, and mud blocks. This enconraged the llTAUPoCA to connibute to the project and had the processmg center built within three months. Today, farmers in Tonge. are happy with their fortunes gradually being . turned around for the bener. The success story ' of IITA·UPoCA is not limited ., to Sierra Leone alone. It transcends and cuts across other countries suc h as Nigeria, DR Congo, Ghana, Malawi. Mozambique, and Tanzania where the project is being implemented.
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