Rural Poor Stimulus Facility (RPSF) is a program under Agricultural Value Chain Development Project which is aligned with GoSL’s Quick Action Economic Response Programme (QAERP) and will focus on enhancing vegetables and groundnuts production for groups of vegetables and groundnuts growers – within a target population of women and women-headed households, persons with disabilities, and female youths, with the aim of boosting household incomes and nutrition.

RPSF is organized into two mutually reinforcing components: Enhancing vegetable and groundnut production, whose expected outcome is to increase vegetable and groundnut production and productivity through the provision of inputs such as climate resilient, high-yielding and fast growing seeds, as well as powered machinery and tools for land preparation and transplanting. Secondly, its will promote remote digital agricultural extension and market information through the establishment of a digital platform. The expected outcome of this component is the setting up of a digital platform for agricultural extension and market information, as well as other relevant sensitization content.

The project will be implemented in five districts (Koinadugu, Falaba, Karene, Port Loko and Western Rural) benefiting 2,000 rural farming households of which 60% will be women and women-headed households, 40% persons with disabilities, and 25% youths.

RPSF specific goal is to supports women headed households and persons with disability including youths to be self-sufficient. Thus, the program prohibit the power dynamics embedded in culture and institutions by bridging the barrier of women headed and people with disabilities to fully participate in supporting the president agenda- food security for all.

During beneficiary profiling exercise, the Project Coordinator, Phibian Turay said disability is a mere description; you might be physical challenged but mentally strong to support your household. Therefore, she encouraged their able relatives or husbands to fully support the disable groups as they are indirectly beneficiaries. Distribution of 250 bags of improved Groundnut seeds to 10 farming communities in Karene District took place in early June. Profiling of RPSF phases 1 & 2 beneficiaries and land selections in Koinadugu and Falaba districts and phase 2 in Karene are ongoing.