By: Alusine Rehme Wilson – (AR-Wilson)
In their quest to support the clarion call and vision of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio Boosting Agriculture and Food Security (BAFs) with support from the European Union has yesterday in Makeni ended a five-day validation meeting with various stakeholders in the Education, Agriculture, ventnary, Food and Security sector from various parts of the country.
The five-day intensive assessments of the new Para-vets curriculum took place at the Makeni campus of the Ernest Bai Koroma of Science and Technology with attendees from the National Farmers’ Association, Sierra Leone Animal Welfare Society, Pig and Poultry, representatives from all districts in the country, EBK-University, Milton Margai College of Science and Technology, Njala university among others who all cross examined the document and made various imputes and adopted the document to be presented to Parliament for necessary approval to ensure that there will be a national document that will provide for farmers, vents, colleges, livestock and cattle owners to act as professional in their various agricultural activates.
Giving and over view of the engagement, the Policy Officer for Boosting Agriculture and Food Security (BAFS) Project Gbassay Kargbo said that the overall aim of BAFS programs in Sierra Leone is to reduce poverty and improve on food insecurity through better governance and improved agricultural productivity diversification.
Mr. Kargbo further revealed that the purpose of validating the document together with various persons from Tertiary institutions, Ministries Agencies and Departments including the Ministry of Agriculture, Education and other stakeholders is to ensure that they participate in the harmonization process of the document which will be rolled to universities, colleges, MDAs and various livestock sectors to enable them act within its frames in line with a global taste that will help improve the country’s agricultural system.
This document when completed will be handed over to both the Higher Education and Agricultural Ministry that will in turn present it to Parliament for onward approval so that it becomes a national guide and asset that will provide for colleges and universities to encourage students to offer vent nary related courses and programs to help build the county’s capacity for abundances in the number of trained and qualified Para-vets to replace the old and retiring ones at various vent nary departments in Sierra Leone he concludes.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Authur Scotland Nicol, a pig and poultry farmer from Western Area explained that before the validation of the document there have been several national consultative meetings held at the Njala university for colleges and universities to train more Para-Vets in the tertiary institutions that will amplify the rate of commercial livestock farming, rearing and the number of persons to render treatments to cattle in the country which will help to give a positive turn around to the country’s economy and will also boost sustainable agriculture for the good of all and sundry that will pave way for Para-Vets in Sierra Leone to act professionally with the availability of a document that captures best practices and guidelines.
The Director of Science Education at the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education, Miss Fatmata Kaiwa commended BAFS and partners for identifying the gap in agriculture, stressing that she believes that the document when enacted by Parliament will help to improve the country’s economic status and will also help to build on the Animal Husbandry Sector and revive the past glory of Sierra Leone through it Regional Ventnary hub in Teko, Makeni, Bombali District in the Northern Province that was made the country years over the giants of Animal Husbandry, an accolade that faded away years ago and now Gambia stands out tall in that show currently in West Africa.
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