Farming as a Path to Independence
Concerned Women of Kono District empowers less privileged women through agriculture, giving them the skills and resources to build independent livelihoods.
Concerned Women Kono involves women in agriculture to empower less privileged women. Farming helps women to be independent, providing vocational training, microfinance opportunities, and entrepreneurship support that reduce economic marginalization across Kono District.
Why Agriculture? Why Now?
The mission of Concerned Women Kono is to empower women and girls through education, advocacy, and community-driven initiatives that promote health, economic independence, and social justice. Agriculture sits at the heart of that economic independence mission.
Concerned Women Kono has worked to reduce economic marginalization by equipping women with skills and resources. Through women-led cooperatives, participants cultivate rice, cassava, and vegetables, gaining hands-on experience and earning income that strengthens household resilience across Kono District.
The organization has delivered vocational training in tailoring, agriculture, and small-scale trade, established microfinance opportunities and savings groups to support women entrepreneurs, and facilitated market access for women-led businesses, strengthening household income and community resilience.
What the Agriculture Program Supports
Three interconnected pillars guide how Concerned Women Kono supports women in the field and beyond.
Crops and Cooperatives
Women-led cooperatives cultivate rice, cassava, and vegetables. Members also produce tailored goods such as school uniforms and traditional attire, and craft items including beads and baskets, creating diverse income streams within a single cooperative structure.
Business and Financial Skills
Participation includes training in business management, marketing, and financial literacy. These skills equip cooperative members to operate their enterprises with confidence, manage savings, and plan for growth beyond subsistence farming.
Market Access and Reinvestment
Products are sold locally at fairs and shops, and the program explores international fair-trade markets and online platforms. Profits are reinvested into Concerned Women Kono programs, including education scholarships and peacebuilding workshops, so every harvest multiplies its impact.
Building Resilient Livelihoods
The agriculture program is designed to improve livelihoods through skills training, entrepreneurship, and access to economic opportunities. By building resilient communities where women’s voices shape development priorities, Concerned Women Kono moves beyond charity toward lasting self-sufficiency.
- Vocational training in agriculture, tailoring, and small-scale trade delivered to participants across Kono District
- Microfinance opportunities and savings groups established to support women entrepreneurs
- Market access facilitated for women-led businesses, strengthening household income and community resilience
- Cooperative profits reinvested into education scholarships and peacebuilding workshops
How Women Join the Agriculture Program
The program is built on a participatory approach: extensive community dialogues and focus group discussions were conducted across Kono District to identify pressing needs and priorities, ensuring that every step reflects what women themselves want and need.
01
Community Dialogue
Women engage in community consultations and focus group discussions that surface local agricultural priorities and identify those ready to participate in cooperative farming.
02
Training Enrollment
Participants enroll in vocational training covering agriculture, business management, marketing, and financial literacy so they are prepared for both fieldwork and enterprise management.
03
Cooperative Membership
Trained women join a women-led cooperative supported by microfinance opportunities and savings groups, giving members access to shared resources and collective bargaining strength.
04
Market Access
Cooperative members gain access to local fairs, shops, and pathways to international fair-trade markets, translating their farm labour into sustained household income and community investment.
Support the Work
Help Women Grow Toward Independence
Your support helps Concerned Women Kono build strong relationships with women’s cooperatives in Kono, highlight their success stories, and secure the stable, diversified financial base needed to sustain and expand the agriculture program.