I owe my survival to EFSP

Twenty-seven year-old Mariatu Found hope in United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s)  Emergency Food Security Programme (EFSP) supported by the Government and people of America through their implementing partners— World Vision, in Sierra Leone.

Mariatu is one of  the beneficiaries of this life-changing project that was borne out of the fact that Ebola is leaving behind footprints of challenging economic, social and psychological effects for years to come. A total of  5,324 households have been reached and impacted through EFSP.

The goal of the project is to improve food security and resilience of Ebola Virus Disease-affected communities in Port Loko District by addressing immediate, life-saving food needs and promote early recovery of 5,460 targeted households in Port Loko District, Increasing ability to purchase food from local markets and toincreasing knowledge of post-harvest management best practices.

Ebola presented difficult crises that resulted in lost hopes and shattered dreams. But EFSP is restoring the smiles again in Port Loko district.

Port Loko is one  of those hard hit zones during Ebola, and was among the very last to be declared Ebola-free.

Port Loko is one of the most deprived districts in Sierra Leone, as most of its population rely on petty trading,  burning and selling of charcoal  and a little bit of farming.

Mariatu’s husband, Victor was a farmer who also traded in pineapples, bananas and rice. He was the family’s main breadwinner until he faced his demise when he got ill of a heart attack and died a few months later.

‘’After Ebola we really suffered in this community. We could hardly afford a day’s meal. And there was no hope of survival. My husband, Victor, used to farm and assist with the children. But he died in June 2016, leaving me to take care of my children alone,’’ said Mariatu, with tear-filled eyes and a sad tone of voice.

Grieving a lost loved one continues and stays a life time. But grieving with hope of survival for the living is crucial for healthy and sustained well-being. Mariatu thanks the American people for this initiative in what she refers to as a blessing.

‘’The money I have been receiving from the American people is really a blessing to me. They give us One hundred and thirty thousand Leones monthly, and I have been a beneficiary of that money for seven months now.’’

Receiving the money from the American people and putting it into good use is what makes it worthwhile. Mariatu figured out that investing in trade and making turnovers is the way to go.

‘’I invested that money in a charcoal trade. I started buying by bag at five thousand Leones (0.885500 USD), taking it to Freetown and selling at twenty five thousand Leones ($ 4.42750 USD). After subtracting  transportation costs and workmanship to load my charcoal, I realized I was getting up to ten thousand Leones ($ 1.77100 USD) per each bag sold,’’ she proudly explains.

Mariatu’s multiple trading skills came to light when she realized going to Freetown and selling charcoal and returning home empty handed wasn’t wise enough. So she changed her strategy.

‘’I now realized it wasn’t wise coming back home empty handed. So I started buying raw fish from Freetown, preserving it by smoking so it could last for days, or even months,’’ she said.

 ‘’When I return from my charcoal  trade trip, I sell the fish to people in my village. And I make a profit of fifteen thousand Leones or more in my fish trade. It is out of this I pay my children’s school fees, take them to the clinic when they fall ill, and we are never hungry as we used to be.’’

Sea fish is hard to come by in communities surrounded by river. Sendugu town is no exception to this.

Sanda Magbolontor is one of the most deprived chiefdoms in the Port Loko District. It is in the remotest parts of the district with river separating it from the rest of the other areas. Crossing over Sanda is through canoes and a local Ferry being run by Government officials. During rains, the entire chiefdom is cut off as it is submerged by water for the most part throughout the rainy season. No job, no food. Food available at this time may have been reserved before the rains. The planting season in Sierra Leone is during the rains. And food shortages are eminent in rural Sierra Leone. Sendugu is located within Sanda Magbolontor Chiefdom in the Port Loko District, Northern Sierra Leone.

‘’When my husband died, I lost hope completely. Living in Sendugu, everybody knows, is not easy. The burden on me was too much—My own kids to take care of, siblings and my aged dad. I would not have done it without the help of the American people. After God, I owe my life and existence to the American people. And many thanks to World Vision for the good work they are doing in Port Loko,’’ concludes Mariatu.

World Vision has four traditional Bases— Bo, Bonthe, Pujehun and Kono.But Ebola prevalence and recovery phase lend World Vision the opportunity of helping the poor and the oppressed in Port Loko District, north of the country.