By Foday Moriba Conteh
It is indeed very encouraging that in recent times private individuals and organizations have not only manifested the commitment and determination to go into agriculture, including rice cultivation, but are now seen doing so passionately as a way of alleviating food insufficiency.
One of those organizations or institutions that have gone into agriculture is the Faith Healing Bible Church which has as one of its appendages the Faith Healing Agricultural Project (FHAP) which on the 21st May, 2021, commissioned a Rice Milling House, Rice Milling Machine & De Stoner Machine during an event held at the Church’s Project Farm Site situated at Yainkassa Village, Makari Chiefdom, in the Bombali District, Northern Sierra Leone.
In his address while commissioning the Rice Milling House and Machines, the Director of the Faith Healing Agricultural Project (FHAP), Pastor Francis A. M. Mambu, disclosed that they started the farm out of nothing further revealing how they began cultivation by using hoes and cutlasses.
He added that the commissioning of the Rice Milling House and the Machines is a clear manifestation that they are passionate about giving a new face lift to agriculture in the country, adding that the facility and equipment will not only serve the surrounding communities where the farm is located but the whole country.
Pastor Francis A. M. Mambu pointed out that before this time residents of the surrounding villages found it difficult to access milling machines in order to mill their rice but said with the new Milling House those challenges will now become a thing of the past furthering that the Rice Milling House contains two machines which are a Rice Milling Machine and De Stoner machine.
The Man of God stated that the 500 acres of farm rice which they cultivated last year has provided huge opportunities to invest in the production, processing and marketing of domestically produced rice in the country, adding that the various farms serve as great supports to residents with over 450 households and help, mostly women farmers, boost agriculture.
Pastor Mambu furthered that they have also created jobs for residents in the surrounding villages with women farmer-groups forming the major beneficiaries not just from the farm but also from the microcredit scheme which provides cash for six (6) villages namely Gbomsamba, Royeama, WorehYeama, Yainkassa, Royanka and Maronkoh in Northern Sierra Leone.
He maintained that the hitherto lack of machines to enhance their agricultural activities was indeed a big challenge expressing dissatisfaction that the Ministry of Agriculture requested the sum of One Hundred and Forty Four Million Leones (Le144, 000,000) from them before they will avail them a tractor.
District Agriculture Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Bombali District, Andrew A. Mansaray, on behalf of the Ministry expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Faith Healing Agricultural Project for commissioning the Rice Milling House and Machines which he said will complement the Government’s efforts towards developing the agricultural sector in the country.
He said he is aware of the constraints faced by the Faith Healing Agricultural Project assuring that he has noted them and will ensure that those issues are addressed.
Andrew A. Mansaray pledged his support at all times to the farm project as the District Agriculture Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture within the Bombali District.
Delivering a statement, the Honourable Member of Parliament for Constituency 032 in Bombali District, Hon. Dr. Mark Mahmoud Kalokoh, extended gratitude to the Faith Healing Agricultural Project for their laudable initiative towards the development of agriculture in the country.
He said that the commissioning of the rice milling house and machines is laudable which deserves commendation adding that such a development initiative must be supported by the Government of Sierra Leone but expressed dismay that the Government did not provide any tractor for the Faith Healing Agricultural Project.
The Member of Parliament described the distribution of the tractors as sectorial and political motivated lamenting how the tractors were not distributed to the right beneficiaries reiterating how it was politically motivated.
He urged Government to support the Faith Healing Agricultural Project with machineries which will make their work easy.
Chief of Yainkassa village, Abdul Koroma, expressed appreciation to the Director of Faith Healing Agricultural Project for the commissioning of the Rice Milling House and Rice Milling Machine & De Stoner Machine which he believes will benefit the surrounding villages.
He said in the past they had to go to nearby villages in order to access rice mills but said with this new milling house now at their door-step residents will no longer face constraints in accessing a rice milling facility.
Abdul Koroma called on residents of Makari Chiefdom to take ownership of the rice milling house and machines pointing out that it will not only benefit the FHAP but also majority of the residents of Makari Chiefdom and its environs.
He called on the Government, Local and International Non-Governmental Organizations to support the Servant of God in order to make Sierra Leone food sufficient.
Climaxing the event was the official commissioning of the Rice Milling House and Machines by the Honourable Member of Parliament for Constituency 032 in Bombali District, Hon. Dr. Mark Mahmoud Kalokoh followed by the dedication of the facility by Pastor Francis A. M. Mambu.
