Foya District, Lofa –The Mayor River Women Initiative Society is transforming agriculture in Foya District through a dedicated community of women engaged in rice and vegetable production.
Spearheaded by committed members like Elizabeth Telmoh, the initiative not only enhances food security but also empowers women in the region.
Elizabeth Telmoh, a passionate member of the society, shared her commitment to farming. “I don’t have any other work to do; that’s why I’m here doing this hard labor work,” she said.
Her enthusiasm is fueled by the significant support they receive from the Start-P Project, which has been crucial in improving their farming practices. “We’re grateful to the Start-P family for helping us build our mini dam, purchase two acres of land, and renovate our warehouse,” she added.
The construction of the dam has been a transformative development for the Mayor River Women Initiative Society. “This dam is really helping us because it was very difficult before to get water for our production. But now it’s a great help even during the dry season. We now cultivate twice as compared to the previous years when we only cultivated once a year due to the lack of water,” Elizabeth explained.
Despite these advancements, Elizabeth highlighted the ongoing need for more support, particularly in the form of machinery to ease their workload. “We need machines to plant rice, harvest rice, and process it. I, myself, want to learn to operate the power tiller machine,” she said.
Paul Temgbeh, the secretary of the Mayor River Women Initiative Society, elaborated on their comprehensive involvement in the value chain of rice and vegetable production. “We produce on 27 hectares of lowlands. We are faced with many challenges, chief among them being warehousing, marketing, and pricing. We sell our rice on credit to local companies at a low price and are not making profits. Sales are still our major challenge,” Temgbeh stated.
To address their critical water needs, the society secured a grant from the Start-P Project to build a dam and a mini reservoir. “Water used to be our major challenge during production.
With the help of the dam, we’re able to produce twice and almost three times a year. We now produce 3 metric tons per hectare compared to the previous years when we used to produce 2 to 2.5 metric tons per hectare,” he noted.
Despite the significant progress, the society continues to face challenges in warehousing and market access.
Currently, they rent warehouses to store their rice and urgently need larger, permanent storage facilities. Additionally, they require machinery to improve the efficiency of planting, harvesting, and processing.
The Mayor River Women Initiative Society’s journey reflects the broader challenges and opportunities in Liberia’s agricultural sector.
With continued support and investment, initiatives like this can drive economic growth, improve food security, and empower local communities, particularly women, in agriculture.
The Mayor River Women Initiative Society is dedicated to rice and vegetable production in Foya District, Lofa. Through support from the Start-P Project, they have improved their agricultural practices and infrastructure, significantly enhancing their productivity and resilience. The society remains committed to overcoming challenges and driving agricultural development in the region.
Their story exemplifies the potential for community-led initiatives to transform agricultural practices and livelihoods in Liberia.
As they continue to address their challenges with determination and external support, the Mayor River Women Initiative Society stands as a testament to the power of collective effort and resilience in the face of adversity.
By: G. Watson Richards
