OUR WORK

Shona Hamilton/Save the Children

Business literacy training: a two day morning training with a group of community members from Djelah* led by Osman, Save the Children project officer. He explains the 4 Ps (price, place, product, promotion) of business. Each participant can then pitch a business proposal, 10 of which will be selected and funded by the project. Shona Hamilton / Save the Children

Mary is a member of the vegetable garden group. Through the project, they were given seeds and taught how to plant them, care for them and harvest them. They were also taught how to make their own fertiliser and given gardening tools. With the proceeds from the vegetables, Mary is paying for the nursery fees of her twins, as well as school fees for her boy. She also makes and sells patties to passing boats to generate more income. They are able to eat more (twice a day) thanks to her participation in the group. Only her youngest daughter, Jeneba, 17 months old, lives with her in Djelah* (see GVs). Her other children live with relatives. Vegetable garden project information: Save the Children initially identified the most vulnerable households to join the group. Then, together with the village stakeholders, they identified areas of land where the crops could be located. For those women who had no access to land, Save the Children advocated on their behalf to be granted some land to grow their crops. Using a demonstration plot to do on the job training, the women received training in land preparation, preparing the beds, growing and caring for crops and ongoing technical support as well as learning how to make local affordable backyard compost fertilizer and pest control, with the support of staff from the Ministry of Agriculture. Save the Children also provided the seeds, gardening tools and chemical fertilizer to help with the land which has very poor soil fertility. Note: on the 2nd visit to Djelah* - we filmed a demo session on how to make sustainable compost with the women including Mamie the Chairlady, Mommy Pujeh, Momodu (Fatie's grandfather), Hawa (Hindolo's mother), Mary and Mariama. https://www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/asset-management/2O4C2S3RKSFK and also filmed these women sowing seeds in the recently prepared garden beds https://www.contenthubsavethechildren.org/asset-management/2O4C2S3RWWUU Shona Hamilton / Save the Children

Cousins Kuji, 19 and Kpemeh, 18 wear their Ending Child Marriage Champion T-shirts in Kailahun, Sierra Leone. Photo: Shona Hamilton / Save the Children Shona Hamilton / Save the Children

Years ago, Djelah* village use to extend beyond those uprooted trees. The combination of climate change /rising sea levels with the cutting down of mangroves (for firewood) and digging mud near the shore to build houses has eaten into Djelah*'s shores over the years. Shona Hamilton / Save the Children