As part of her humanitarian services, global advocacy for women self-sufficiency, women empowerment, agricultural skill transfer and agricultural business in Africa. #AgroBizWorld partners with Guinea Women for Food Security (GWFS) Guinea to expand agricultural success for small farmers, training and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was reported that collaboration held its first launch event on Sunday 26th of July 2020, in a small village at Maferenya, Guinea Conakry, which was attended by women and religion leaders with the aim of empowering women through socio-economic activities, training and food systems to fight against food shortage.
African Development Magazine reported that Guinea is rich in natural resources, but faces major socio-economic challenges. The poverty rate is alarming, and 21.8 percent of households are food-insecure. Malnutrition remains high: 6.1 percent of children under 5 are affected by global acute malnutrition, 24.4 percent are stunted, and 12 percent are underweight. The rural populations are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.
Many were affected by severe food insecurity, 71.1 percent practice subsistence farming while smallholder farmers comprise the majority of the country’s poor, showing a correlation between poverty and food insecurity. Besides, they have poor access to seeds and fertilizers, production and processing equipment, storage facilities, basic infrastructure and affordable financial services.
Although women play a crucial role in agriculture, particularly in food production, they have difficulties in accessing land and productive resources, education, formal employment and income-generating activities. Their work is often unpaid and undervalued. Women make up 60 percent of people suffering from chronic hunger, and the majority of rural people living in poverty.
INVESTING IN RURAL PEOPLE IN GUINEA THROUGH GLOBAL COLLABORATION ON FOOD SECURITY
Food Security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
The convener of GWFS, Mrs Fatoumata Dabo has assured members of the cooperative on new development with the collaboration with international global partner.
‘’ Our main objective is to empower women of the community through agriculture training and farming. Therefore, women will conduct most activities in this farm. To achieve this goal, we have created an NGO GWFS (Guinean Women for Food Security) in collaboration with an international partner (Agrobiz.org) establishing a co-operative AgroBiz World Guinea for guidance and training’’
‘’ We have come this morning in order to introduce ourselves, to get to know more about you, the food needs for community and seek your blessings. As you can see, many members are present here this morning. We desire to produce regular safe and sufficient food and economic resources to benefit everyone’’
‘’ Our purpose is delivering training programs to women farmers and applying those skills sets. Our farming project is the right place to begin this collaboration as an integrated farm project, including poultry farming, eggs production, fish farming, bee keeping, chili peppers and other vegetables’’
Lady Tee Thompson of AgroBiz.org and #AgroBizWorld whose priority is to advocate for women self-sufficiency, employment and agribusiness stated that “Everyone has to eat and deserves safe, sufficient and nutritious food”. This is our approach to helping millions of families and female farmers around the world achieve full economic potential.
“We are advancing women’s access globally to employment, credit, land ownership, agribusiness through our partnerships, training and assistance programs. Agrobiz.org will continue to advance these foundational freedoms with other governments, NGOs, Women’s Co-ops at the highest levels, while also working to achieve liberties – these same liberties with businesses, civil societies, and women themselves. By empowering women in other countries, #AgroBizWorld affiliation benefits from the stability and prosperity that they bring to their communities and to their countries long-term sustainability.
Our #AgroBizWorld partners should have the opportunity to learn a skill, garner training, provide for their families, own property, and contribute to their own communities. These activities are all a great expression of human dignity and derive from the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Promoting women’s empowerment is also smart economic policy and best practices. As global citizens and shapers we are replicating #AgroBizWorld in Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa during the pandemic. Now more than ever, as we live through or come back from COVID-19 pandemic, women will be critical to the economic recovery for families, communities, and the world.
One of the beneficiaries, Hadja Ramata Cissé has expressed optimism towards the global collaboration on food security and applauds #AgroBizWorld for partnering with them.
“Everything in this world is about opportunities; the locals that gave me the opportunity to buy this land are represented here this morning. Many women around the world do not have land ownership or control. Today, alongside my children and our international partnership, we also intend to return back the favor with this socio-economic activity for women of this community”. “Women farmers are the pillars of families and we are very brave. Empowered women can support their husbands and children and empower the community”
