SOBBA
The Strategy Organization for Building Business Initiatives in Agriculture- Sierra Leone
A Dedicated Seed and agricultural services company
SOBBA Youth Engagement
One of SOBBA's 3 pillars is the involvement and development of youths livelihood through agriculture. This policy is embedded in our founding principles in engaging the youth in developing agriculture in Sierra Leone. This tenet has ensured that over the years SOBBA has employed youth labour (for land preparation, as labor, contract farmers, planters, harvesters and local/community sales agents) during the implementation of our farming activities.
According to UNDP’s Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme;
“75 percent of Sierra Leone’s population is below the age of 35, and this number will only grow. 60 percent of young people are structurally unemployed – they are unable to provide sufficiently for themselves and their families. The secondary and tertiary education systems are also failing young people, with only 37% of the school-age youth population in education, and half of all young people illiterate.”
 Youth Employed on SOBBA farms |
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 Markoloh Farm AssistantOne of many school going youths who is interested in taking up agriculture as a careeer. He is on of teh farm assitant on the Markoloh farm |
 Youth participationYoung men helping to prepare food during a major farming activity |
 Youth participationYoung men feeding on SOBBA harvested rice vareity and cowpea during one work session break |
 2014-Youth Participation meetingSome of the youths that are active in SOBBA farming activities in attendance at the 2014 youth kick-off community meeting at the Kumalo location |
 2014-Khumalo meetingYouth in the Kumalo community paying attention during the kick-off meeting |
Although no hard figures can be provided for the Port-Loko region (in which majority of our operations are conducted), it is estimated that the unemployment rate in this region is slightly higher than the national average of 55%. To help with the unemployment situation of the youths SOBBA has/es executeing the following measures
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Employed about 30% youth labour on our farming operations.
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SOBBA fostered the formation of three farming youth groups in the three communities that we operate in. There have been a gradual increase in the numbers of youths that are actively engaged in these groups.
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Provided seeds and fertilizers to the three youth groups for the cultivation of 2 hectares on land in each of the farming communities
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The gradual increase and involvement of youths in SOBBA's activities and famring groups has forced SOBBA to institute starting in the forth quarter of 2014 to develop a structured farmer/agricultural training platform that will be called "SOBBA Agricultural Training Academy" . The Academy will include youth and adults who will be provided more training that will help them to be self sustaining farmers who can use the tools and training provided to them to enable them to break out of the circle of poverty and subsistence farming. Visit the Academy page for more information.
 Youths doing field clearing workYouths engaged in preparing the fields before the planting season starts |  Youths applying fertilizerA cross-section of the youths that are employed in our farming operations |  Youths Applying fertilizer |
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2014-Youth Participation meetingSome of the youths that are active in SOBBA farming activities in attendance at the 2014 youth kick-off community meeting at the Kumalo location | 2014-Khumalo meetingYouth in the Kumalo community paying attention during the kick-off meeting |