By Mohamed Kamara

The German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development through its country office in Freetown, Welthungife (WWW) has sponsored six thousand Euros to the fifty strong membership of the Community Media Network Sierra Leone (ComNet-SL) working in conjunction with the Sierra Leone Civil Society on the right to food  security.

This was revealed by Mr. Theophilus Gbenda Project Coordinator for Community Media Network at a press conference held at its headquarters situated at No1 Karl Drive Hill Station. In a press release to journalists, it informed that the project with a duration of 18 months which is intended to improve food security and to focus on an increased awareness on the right to food and the associated root causes of food insecurity in local district, regional and national levels through the production and airing of rapid programmes and jingles as well as rolling out programs dedicated to promoting food security. It also aims to achieve a comprehensive goal by putting pressure on government to develop, approve a national document on the right to food based on Food and Agriculture (FAO) guidelines, ensure that access to services and infrastructures are imposed on farmer’s framework conditionality.

Some of the activities lineup include: a diversified radio network, TV, radio discussions, documentary production and mobile cinema, inclusion of educational institutions of all grades, monitoring by CSO’s, gender inclusion are few of many round country visitations. They lamented that despite previous and present government’s effort to improve the sector, a 2015 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerable Analysis (CFSUA) by the World Food Program (WFP) summers food insecurity of 59.7% of rural population and 49.8% of urban which puts Sierra Leone in the World Hunger Index to rank 103 out of 117 countries. Factors ranging from low Agricultural Productivity, poverty, inadequate information, gender inequality etc are responsible they affirm.

Mr. Mohamed Massaquoi is National Coordinator, Theophilus Gbenda, Programe Coordinator and Mr Lansana Sowa, Director of Sierra Leone Network on Right to Food are the leading the challenge.