STORIES
Kutupalong Refugee Camp, Bangladesh // photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance
From Hunger to Hope8/14/2025 how farmers, girls, and communities are changing their future In the rural villages of Liberia and Sierra Leone, food security is not just a challenge, it’s a daily struggle. High inflation, rising prices, slowed economic growth and widespread poverty mean that even with good weather and better harvests, more than 80% of households still cannot meet their basic food needs. But in 18 rural communities, hope is taking root.  For the last few years, the West Africa Initiative (WAI) – a project of Agricultural Missions Inc., supported by Week of Compassion – has implemented a highly successful food security program. By increasing the quantity of basic food crops through local production and enabling the construction of food storage facilities, farmers can extend the life of the crops produced, addressing the perennial ‘hunger season’ with stored food available during seasons of scarcity. Through the Youth Agriculture Program extension of WAI, young people are actively engaged in the leadership and implementation of this community food security effort, providing livelihood opportunities and improving food availability in their communities.  In the last year, the program expanded to new villages following the ‘Village to Village’ (V2V) methodology, where existing groups assist new groups in organizing themselves to meet the WAI criteria and join the WAI program. Partnering groups provide the benefits of mentorship, organizational development, training, and material support such as tools, seeds and even cash loans for start-up costs.  While addressing food security in local villages, the West Africa Initiative is also keenly focused on gender rights, working to improve the status and stability of life for women and girls. Community awareness activities seek to reduce and prevent acts of violence which women and girls are subjected to within their homes and communities. Establishment of local committees and involvement of traditional leaders and government agencies to offer counseling and support to both victims and perpetrators have been critical in the success of the program. Support for girls in Junior and Senior Secondary Schools (JSS/SSS) – including books, supplies, uniforms, and shoes – helps advance the status of girls and women by increasing their levels of formal education, looking to develop women professionals and leaders. The first cohort of girls to attend JSS three years ago has graduated to SSS. Staff and stakeholders continue to support the girls through secondary school, as they are even more vulnerable than those just entering, given their age and the social and economic pressures of marriage, pregnancy and the increased pressure to contribute financially to the family. By staying in school, these pressures are less and the chances of breaking the cycle increase. Even now, girls enrolled in the program enjoy improved status and recognition from their families and communities for their achievement. Eve is 18, and lives and goes to school in Palala (Liberia). She is the only girl among her family’s five children:  Moreover, I am the first girl ever seen in my family to reach this level of schooling and it is my hope and ambition to become a professional midwife as a career to enable me to serve my family, my community, and the society at large. I am blessed because my mother is a member of the Kerker-Ta farmers group of the West Africa Initiative (WAI) program, and because of this I have received assistance to continue my school for the past three years. Glory is to God for the girls’ support program in our local community because if I did not receive the school support, I would not be attending school any more. The school support has given me very high hope for a better life for my family and myself and I am very thankful for it. More than 400 miles away in Kadubaya (Sierra Leone), Sama is 17 and hopes to graduate in 2027, the first in her family to complete high school:  It is my hope and ambition to become a nurse or medical doctor. My mother is a member of the Kakamathor farmers group of the Village to Village Federation of the West Africa Initiative in Sierra Leone and because of this I have received the assistance to continue my schooling for the past four years. My mother is the only supporter of myself and my four younger brothers and sisters. I had to help her by selling in the market where she is a trader. Without the school support program, I would have to drop out. I still help my mother in the market on the weekends, but I also attend school during the week. It is hard but I must continue to do both these things to help my family and work to achieve my goal. Week of Compassion and our partners know that community-led, locally-focused, intentional partnerships work. With overall production of staple foods increased by an average of 20% in both Liberia and Sierra Leone, communities have seen increased storage and availability of food during the hunger season. All groups participating in the YAP have seen increased food security in their communities. Hundreds of men and women have attended education and sensitization sessions, and 345 girls have been supported so far through the school support program. Sama closed her letter, “This support has given me hope for a better life for my family and myself and I am very thankful for it. May all those who made this possible be blessed forever.” Our gratitude to Winston Carroo at AGMissions for sharing these stories and photos.
Gifts to Week of Compassion marked for the Women’s Empowerment Fund support ministries like the West Africa Initiative. Comments are closed.
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