New Drying Floor and Seed Loans

Drying Floor Construction 

It is common for villages to go with very little food for two months each year. These are known as “the hungry months.” This happens when a family’s stock of staple dried food runs out or spoils. The main staple foods are rice and peanuts, and drying is one of the few ways that the people have to preserve food between harvests. 

World Hope International has found that the construction of concrete drying floors in a village significantly reduces post-harvest losses of such staple crops. Rice, peanuts, peppers and other crops are spread on the floors which are positioned to get maximum sun. The moisture is reduced so that the crops do not mold while being stored. 

 

The new drying floor in Rogbere.

Without the drying floors, people spread crops on large rocks, but these are not in the village where they can be watched. Sometimes other people come and steal rice being dried out of sight. In addition, the rocks are not large and flat enough to accommodate all the crops that need drying. 

The concrete drying floors are slanted for water runoff and provide an efficient and safe way to dry crops, which is the primary method of food preservation in rural Sierra Leone. One drying floor was completed in June, bringing long term benefit to the community. The community is grateful for the drying floor that was constructed in Rogbere. 

Distribution of Peanut and Rice Seeds 

Forty (40) women each received two bushels or bags of peanut seed and 30 men each received two bushels of rice seed on loan. Peanut seeds were exclusively given to women and rice to men as growing rice requires more physical work. All beneficiaries already have either rice or peanut farms and will use the new seeds to enlarge their farms. The first harvest is expected in September for peanuts and December for rice. Farmers will pay back to the community seed bank and the next selected farmers will receive the seed loan.  A Drilled Well  The preparation for a drilled well is underway, and the community is very excited to have access to clean drinking water.  A woman carrying her peanut seeds.