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.
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| 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
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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.
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| A woman carrying her peanut seeds. |
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She made requests from the village as we continue the
partnership. They requested a well, hygienic bathrooms, and a church. The well
is needed especially because their pineapple fields are drying out. It has been
an especially dry "dry season," and although they will have a
harvest, it will be better if they can irrigate the pineapples when necessary.
The church is needed because the only church near them is very far away. So at
this point, both the National Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church and the
village itself have expressed interest in a church in Rogbere.
Today was very good! We did a tour of some of the Wesleyan ministries near Makeni. We visited a Wesleyan School and the Kamakwie hospital. But probably the most powerful thing today was seeing the Wesleyan missionary graveyard. This is where some of the first missionaries in Sierra Leone were buried. Many of them came to Sierra Leone not expecting to return home. They would pack their belongings in their coffins. But they paved the way for many churches to be planted and for many works of compassion.
Another VERY cool thing from our meeting with the national superintendent here-he is VERY passionate about the Wesleyan church. His conversion story is extremely powerful. He said he is going to meet with some of his team in the coming days and hopes to plant a church in Rogbere! He said they need to have more of a presence in that part of the country and he was very supportive and passionate about wanting to make that happen. His name is Reverend Usman Fornah. He has an incredible faith story and was personally influenced by Carrie Jo's dad, Don Kinney-a very powerful picture of disciples making disciples.
