Liberia appeal – farmer resource centres
Concern is supporting farmers in Liberia by providing the essential training and skills needed to make lasting change possible. Your help is needed to continue and expand this work to help improve the lives of thousands of other farmers and their families.
Farmer resource centres are multi-purpose training facilities where rural communities can learn new skills, such as effective farming practices, sustainable land management and more. This then helps them to secure their livelihoods and provide for their families.
At these centres, farmers can learn about planting vegetables and rice and other techniques, including multiplication and the distribution of improved seed varieties. Other areas of study include assessing when to plant crops, aquaculture, soil fertility and processing foods, such as the milling of rice and kernels.
Crucially, the centres also look at transforming livelihoods well beyond food production by running monthly training workshops in:
- Livestock management
- Compost making
- Blacksmith workshops where farmers can produce their own tools
- Non-traditional enterprises including rabbit rearing and aquaculture
- Adult literacy with volunteer teachers, covering business skills and community development
- Health and hygiene
- HIV and AIDS awareness sessions
Transforming lives
The only well established farmer resource centre is in Grand Bassa County. It has been extremely effective, having already transformed the lives of farmers and their families. Over 1,077 farmers have been trained here since 2004 and they are beginning to earn an income that not only feeds their families but allows them to send their children to school for the first time.
Funding is urgently needed to set up more centres. The transformation that has begun in Grand Bassa is desperately needed in other counties such as Lofa and Bong, where food is in short supply and people critically need to secure a livelihood to provide for their families.
In 2008, Concern aims to assist over 4,000 more people through livelihood programmes in Liberia by setting up more farmer resource centres in Lofa and Bong counties. Your support will make this a reality.
- Listen to an interview with Concern staff member Kate Rockingham, talking about the farmer resource centres
- Click here to return to the main Liberia appeal page
