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A Survey Administered to 53 Members of Various Farming Associations in the Gbonkelenken Chiefdom to Gage the Needs of the Community, their Desired Goals and the Impact of the Communal Farming System (CFS) Program Sponsored by the Center for Alternative Development Strategies (CADS) Sierra Leone

In December of 2001 a survey was administered to 53 members of various farming associations in the Gbonkelenken Chiefdom. These surveys were used to gage the needs of the community, their desired goals and the impact of the Communal Farming System (CFS) program sponsored by the Center for Alternative Development Strategies (CADS).

The CFS program is a collaborative effort that seeks to promote community participation and cooperation amongst farmers in various villages. The survey was intended to see what problems face the participating farmers and their communities, what activities have already been started and what possibilities for improvement could be implemented.

This analysis of that survey will be used to critically evaluate the program up to this point and make necessary adjustments based on its findings. Again, the underlying purpose is to understand the implications of war, poverty, devastation and gage how the CFS program can positively impact the people in the rural communities.

Signing of the Communal Farming System (CFS) Joint Venture Agreements between CADS Sierra Leone and farmers at Gbonkolenken where the survey was conducted -- the Center's Agricultural Projects Coordinator, Mr. Ingham B. Carew (R) was facilitating the signing ceremony..

B. How Survey was Administered

The survey was distributed to 53 members of various associations in the Gbonkelenken chiefdom during the middle of December 2001. The person in charge of administering the surveys as well as the chief coordinator for the CADS CFS project was Mr. Inghem B. Carew.

The survey contained 46 questions.

This particular evaluation of the survey is broken down into 10 parts. First is the section explaining the rationale for the survey analysis. The second portion discusses the demographics of those surveyed. The next section deals with the assistance process farmers have gone through in the past. Next, is a paragraph on the participation level of association members and its benefits. The fifth section touches on the issues surrounding the organization, planning, preparation and execution of farming activities. Section six touches on post harvest activities, specifically micro-businesses. The seventh section discusses the perception up to this point of the CFS program. The next area delves into possible further inquiries that should be made to better grasp the problems facing farmers. Section nine makes suggestions and recommendations for action. The last section wraps up and concludes the survey analysis.

As is widely known, the war that ravaged the country for 10-plus years had a devastating and life-altering impact on the people of Sierra Leone. This especially includes those living in rural areas. Of those surveyed, most lost family and friends. This depleted the spirit and manpower of the citizenry greatly. Aside from the horrific loss of life, most lost homes and all their property. Those surveyed reported a great percentage of displacement because of this. The rebels also destroyed bridges, schools and other community buildings. Needless to say, most of those surveyed are now starting from scratch, as is the case for many throughout the country.

Because of the widespread devastation, the people expect many things from the government. In their eyes, the government should play an integral role in the rebuilding and rehabilitation of their communities. Specifically, those surveyed felt that most of the time and money expended on the rebuilding and rehabilitation process should be on agriculture, health, property assistance and education. Assistance in these areas will greatly help the needs of the people, especially in the rural areas.

With the elections looming in the very near future, it is extremely important that the people are aware of the political issues and participate in whatever way feasible. The best, easiest and most effective way to participate is by voting. According to those surveyed, all but two have voted in multiple elections-Presidential and Parliamentary. Those who voted stated that the elections and voting processes were predominately fair and organized. There were several, however, who experienced acts of violence and fraud while partaking in the voting process. Of the two that have not voted, lack of interest seemed to be the primary reason. Political participation and awareness will be crucial in order for the areas of need listed above to properly be improved, i.e. agriculture, health, property and education.

One very positive aspect of this survey is the high number of farmers who own their own land. One farmer shares his land with the rest of the community, which also is a positive result. Of the few that do not , private land owners primarily have claim to the farmed land. The predominance of owned land helps greatly with the reduction of cost and ability for the farmer to have complete control of the entire farming process.

The size of the family plays a very important role in terms of how many people need to be fed and how many people are able to work the farm. Family size, according to the survey, varied greatly, lying in the range of 1 to 150. Most of those surveyed said their families contain between 15 and 50 members. Therefore, the farm must provide for a relatively high number of family members, however, each family has a substantial amount of help available to farm. Most of those in the family participate in the preparation, execution and harvest of the farm. With the exception of small children and the disabled. Very few of those surveyed said only the elders play a role in farming. Even those children in school participate after school and during the holidays.

The role an individual plays within the community is paramount to the success of the most important aspects of the rehabilitation and rebuilding process. The survey showed an already overwhelming abundance of community participation by its members. Many of these activities undertaken by community members revolve around sanitation and cleanliness. Such tasks include the digging of public toilets, water wells, and the construction of roads and bridges. One thing absent from the list of community participatory tasks was community idea building. The need for interactive and frequent community meetings and programs regarding areas of improvement is greatly needed. A recent trip to the chiefdom has shown that frequent meetings are beginning to be organized.

The education of the youth should be a primary concern for the public of Sierra Leone. As the survey showed, this is most certainly the case. All of those who took part in the survey said they send their children to school. As mentioned above, most children help with the farming either before or after school or during the holidays. This raises an important issue; the location of the schools. Approximately 30% of those surveyed said they do not have a school in their village. This means that a great deal of students must walk long distance to school. In fact, most have to walk between two and four miles and some even as far as seven miles. This may hinder the students ability to help with household work and farm work.

There are a variety of schools attended by the children such as the Kofi Annan Primary School, Roman Catholic School, S.L.M.P. Primary School and the Young Muslim Primary School. A majority of the schools are religious in nature and most are Christian. Several Muslim schools were also mentioned from those surveyed.

The availability and affordability of health care is a great determinant in the livelihood of the family and community. Proper and low-cost health care should be within a reasonable distance. Of those surveyed, only eight have health clinics in their community. The others must travel a distance ranging from one to 11 miles, while most travel between three and eight miles. In terms of cost, all people surveyed pay their own health care cost. Most pay for each individual visit, while some pay a flat rate per month or year.

Many citizens of the rural areas within Sierra Leone rely a great deal on the support of government agencies and NGO’s. Since most communities were utterly devastated from the war, they will rely now more than ever on outside funding and assistance. Several questions on the survey revolved around the assistance received by and explained to the people in these rural areas.

Although there are a multitude of assistance programs in running order, most of those surveyed did not receive any assistance with their farming. Very few reported receiving small tools and food for work from organizations such as the World Food Program, the Red Cross and Council for Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL). There seemed to be a reliability problem with these organizations responsible for administering the assistance. Many farmers were promised seeds, fertilizers, tools and food for work, but few actually received these items. Also, the funding and assistance process was rarely explained. This may be the biggest problem in terms of assistance.

In terms of acquiring tools and fertilizers for farm preparation, the same trend was followed. Many farmers were promised these things, but few ever received them. Therefore, most had to purchase or trade for fertilizers and tools, which tended to be very costly. In fact, many farmers could not even afford fertilizer. The lack of assistance in this respect, proves to be extremely costly to the farmer.

Level of Participation and Benefits of Associations.

The formation of and participation in farming associations is crucial to the development of the rural areas. This survey shows the importance people have placed on these associations. With exception of very few, most belong to a particular association. The level of participation in these associations varies greatly, but most revolve around communal labor. Particularly, hands on work on the land, construction of feeder roads and serving on the association board. The benefits received from these associations were extremely impactful. Most saw improved quantities in food and improved education. The most important benefit, however, was the feelings of self-reliance and motivation spawned from participation within the association.

The process associated with organization, planning and preparation of farming activities is lengthy and is dependant on many factors. Planning of farming activities is usually done in phases and through group meetings. However, many of the decisions are contingent on issues such as money, seed, labor and tool availability . Although a wide variety of crops are grown, most farmers plant rice groundnuts, cassava, corn and pepper. Unfortunately, many farmers do not possess the seeds for these crops, therefore, they must resort to trading, borrowing and or purchasing the seeds. The need to purchase, trade or borrow seeds is one of the most costly processes the farmer must partake in prior to farming. According to the survey, farmers intended to vary their crops in the 2002-2003-crop season and most will have to resort to the trading, borrowing and buying of seeds to sustain their activities.

The actual execution of farming activities is the culmination of all the planning and preparation done by the individual farmers and the associations. The tools used by a majority of the farmers are: cutlasses, hoes, shovels, pick axes, rakes and buckets. These tools must be purchased or traded for every few years or two. The survey was very clear on the point that few farmers can afford proper fertilizers to better spur the growth of their crops. Of the few that could afford fertilizers, NPK, 0-20-20, 15-15 and 15 were utilized. Without the abundance of seeds, proper tools and fertilizers, farmers will continually have a difficult time maintaining sufficient crop amounts.

After the harvest, the storage and marketing of crops is the next vital step for the farmers. According to the survey, many places are used for crop storage such as bags, wooden boxes, boundas, and member’s houses. However, most farmers made use of locally built thatch huts. As one can assume, many of these structures were destroyed during the war and had to be rebuilt, if the farmers could afford it. In terms of marketing and sales of the crops, several different practices are used. Few farmers barter their crops or personally sell them in their village. But, a majority of the farmers travel to larger villages, usually quite a distance and partake in selling or trading with markets. The long distance necessary to travel to these larger markets can be a very large problem for many farmers.

The many years of war have ravaged the farming capabilities of a great deal of the rural citizens. Because of this, most farmers do not create enough income from farming, therefore, they must partake in extracurricular money-generating operations. A majority of those surveyed took part in some kind of activity. For instance, some partook in micro-credit schemes while others processed palm oil. A majority of those surveyed, however, planted other types of crops that grew in the off-season. Also, many partook in tie dying and soap making. These activities will continue to be an integral practice for these farmers until their crops generate enough funds to sustain liveable conditions.

The prospects of starting a micro-business, if one has not already done so, is very appealing to the farmers of this area. In fact, all of those surveyed would for sure pursue the opportunity if it were given to them. Not only would it generate much needed funds, it would also help make them more self-sufficient. As stated above, many already partake in activities such as soap making, tie dying and complementary farming practices. Many of those surveyed would greatly be interested in participating in a micro-credit scheme where they would loan money to the association and thus receive monthly payments back from them.

According to the survey, many believe that if their harvest income were great enough, they would be able to sustain a micro-business. This prospect is very encouraging for the farmers because it instils a sense of self-reliance as well as making their activities more profitable.

The CFS program has just been introduced to the people of this community. Before its inception, the future looked bleak. According to the survey, the CFS program has brought a great deal of encouragement to the people. Specifically, the people were very excited about the prospects of self-sustainability and growth. Only two of those surveyed were unfamiliar with the program. Those who were familiar with the program thought it was extremely fair and explained well. Four main reasons were given that could summarize their views towards the program. First, no fees were asked for upfront. Second, it promotes awareness to new ideas, cooperation, and stability. Third, it promotes a sense of togetherness and community. Finally, the program promotes peace and acceptance of all.

Before any recommendations for action are given, there should be some effort put forth to further inquire about a few key issues unanswered by the survey that is vital to the success of our community work.

First, several areas outside of the farming activities must be scrutinized. For instance, the times and duration of school breaks should be found out and analysed. How long are they? Do they correspond with the harvest season? Having school breaks during the busy time of the harvest season could greatly benefit farmers.

Another inquiry that should be made is whether or not there are other governmental or outside agencies that can assist with the non-farming issues plaguing the communities, i.e. education, health and infrastructure.

In regards to the association and questions about the community, is there anything else the community or associations can do to better the situation? Are there any penalties or disciplinary actions that can be given to those members who reap association benefits but do not participate? Do farmers have the time to work on communal projects? All these questions could better assist the reliability and sustainability of the associations.

Finally, issues surrounding the tools used in farming practices should be further looked into. For instance, how often are tools replaced? Is there a way to purchase or make longer-lasting tools? Also, many citizens were asking about mechanized farming equipment. Is it feasible to get some machinery, regardless of how rudimentary they may be?

These important areas of interest should further be looked into in order to properly gage the needs of the community and feasibility the CFS program and corresponding association work. This may mean a need for further surveying and questioning.

Based upon the findings of the survey and personal accounts from people within the community, the following are recommendations and suggestions for further action. A very positive outcome of this survey is the fact that a majority of the farmers own their own land, which greatly increases the chance of sustaining a positive income. However, it is the other areas of the community and farming processes that make sustainable income difficult.

One of the primary needs of the farmers gathered from the survey, is the dire need for seeds and fertilizer. Without an ample amount of each, it has been and will be extremely difficult for farming practices to prosper. Specifically, there is a need to get an ample amount of seeds and fertilizers for the farmers, primarily through assistance from donor agencies. Also, rigorous seed stockpiling must take place in order to secure proper amounts of seeds for future years. If these things are successfully done, the farmers and their associations will greatly benefit.

Another way to better the farmers output is to promote more crop diversification amongst the farmers. By doing this, it will boost the farmer marketability and potential for greater income. In this sense, and with the help of CADS and other agencies, an international market may be attainable. This could greatly improve the chances for higher incomes.

One of the first activities that should be undertaken is the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads and feeder paths. This is extremely important to the mobility of the farmers and the transportation of their crops. A majority of the farmers must travel a great distance in order to sell or trade their crops. Having useable roads and bridges is key to the success of their travels.

In order to properly and effectively communicate our goals and objectives to the associations, proper meetings and written documentation should be given to the communities explicitly explaining our role in the cooperative and their responsibilities. Specifically, a written document should be given to the cooperative leaders to discuss with its members. We should also give them information on other organizations and agencies that may be able to assist in other community needs, i.e.. contact names, locations and numbers.

A seminar or specific meeting held for the cooperative executives regarding organization, dissemination of responsibilities and association conduct would be very beneficial to the level of effectiveness of the cooperatives. Once the cooperatives have been solidified, CADS should conduct these meetings or seminars with each individual executive body. CADS may also want to hold a similar meeting regarding the promotion of micro-businesses and their importance.

By implementing and using these recommendations, the CFS program will be extremely focused and effective. With time and effort from all parties, this program is certain to bring growth, confidence and self-reliance to these communities.

The results gathered from the survey and the recommendations derived from those results show the drastic need fro the Communal Farming System (CFS) program. The outcomes generated from this program will surely benefit the farmers, community members as well as the entire country.

As the survey showed, everyone was adversely affected by the war. This fact compounded with the issues of education, health, infrastructure and agriculture stresses the dire need for community assistance. Fortunately, many farmers own their own land and frequently participate in community activities. However, the farmers surveyed have a multitude of roadblocks ranging from poor educational facilities to distant and dismal health care facilities. No to mention, most farmers have a large household to care for.

The previous level of assistance given to area farmers was dismal if any was given at all. Many farmers were told they would receive assistance but few followed through on these promises. It was very difficult for the people of the rural areas to contact or get information from these agencies.

The participation and benefits derived from the formation of associations has been very impactful and a great asset to the community. Many association members help with communal projects such as construction of roads and buildings. These associations will greatly boost the level of success in the long run for these communities.

The CFS approach has already helped these communities in multiple ways. It has instilled a sense of organization and self-reliance. It has helped revitalize the farmers’ hopes of maintaining adequate farming practices. However, much more is needed. In terms of agriculture, the farmers are still lacking proper seeds, fertilizers and tools. Within the community, adequate roads, education, infrastructure and health are still drastically needed. More emphasis and assistance must also be given to micro-businesses to complement the farmers’ practices.

With the assistance of CADS, government bodies and other NGO’s, the farmers of the rural areas will have a great chance to overcome the destruction and deprivation caused by the war. The survey conducted by CADS has shown the needs of the community, the successes and future challenges the people face. By collaborating our efforts, we can all see to it that citizens of Sierra Leone conquer the challenge of development.