Many Hands Make Light Work
The youth of a farmers group in one village set up a kuu to build a food storage facility in their community. And just what is a kuu, you ask?
Anyone who’s participated in (or heard about) a barn raising, quilting bee or Habitat for Humanity project will immediately understand the concept of the Liberian kuu. It’s a group of people who take turns working together on each other’s farms or other projects requiring physical labor such as building homes.
The goal of the program – supporting rural community groups engaged in food production and marketing – draws its strength from the traditional kuu, since people are already used to working together. The focus is on young people, providing livelihood opportunities in farming for the youth of the communities. They work toward developing locally-controlled and resilient food systems to improve the food security and economic and social well-being in their communities.
As he worked on the roof of the building, a member of the Youth Agriculture Program named Mulbah said, “We had already organized a kuu to work on each other’s farms, but this one is specifically to build the storehouse. The nice thing is that, while we are working, many members of the community come out to help even though they are not part of the kuu.”
Daniel, the leader of the kuu, explains why people are so enthusiastic about the storehouse. “Our daily staple food is rice, and we earn money from growing and selling vegetables. Now that we’ll have a place to keep the rice and vegetables, we can grow more and our harvests will be protected against pests, mold, and the heavy rains we’re experiencing more often. We will have more to eat even in the hungry season.”
Sierra Leone Liberia Youth Program
Led by Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Local Partner Agricultural Missions, West Africa Initiative of Liberia, Village to Village Federation (Sierra Leone)