LOFA COUNTY, LIBERIA-On April 30, 2025, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) donated a huge consignment of farming materials to the Agriculture Department of Voinjama Public School in Lofa County.
Though its Gender and Social Welfare Division also made a similar donation to the Agriculture Department of Salayea Public School in Lofa County, IFAD’s aim is to encourage students to venture into agriculture.
IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas, with over 200 projects across nearly 100 countries.
Among materials donated by IFAD and its Gender and Social Welfare Division are hooks, axes, water cans, bags of Fertilizers, and Rain boots.
Speaking during the donation ceremony in Voinjama, IFAD’s Gender and Social Welfare Officer, Alien Lincoln, disclosed ongoing plans to expand the initiative to other high schools across the Country.
According to Lincoln, the goal of the program is to buttress the Liberian Government’s efforts to grow more food for the country and ensure that students generate their own income.
“You have to maximize this initiative by program, because a portion of the proceeds that will be generated from these farms will help address some of your basic social needs,” He urged the students.
In separate remarks, the Principals of Voinjama and Salayea Public Schools, France Colee and Sylvester Kromah, thanked IFAD for the gesture.
The two Principals also commended the Liberian Government, especially the Ministry of Agriculture, for the ongoing strides to enhance food security in the country.
At the same time, students of Voinjama and Salayea Public School expressed deep appreciation to IFAD for the initiative, pledging to use the materials for the advancement of the Agriculture Sector of Liberia.
The move by the International Fund for Agricultural Development to get students involved with farming activities in Liberia signifies development partners’ commitment to buttressing the Liberian Government’s efforts to achieve its 50,000 hectares cultivation of lowland before 2030.
By: Emmanuel Bondo
