By Patricia Conteh
Students of Koinadugu College (KC) in Kabala, northern Sierra Leone, on Saturday 3rd August, 2024 commenced an initiative meant to transform the college campus into a green scenery.
The tree nursery project which is dubbed: “Green Yard Initiative,” is led by the first cohort of students of the college that began operation in 2023. The initiative is part of the institution’s leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainability values, and it aims at promoting practical and hands-on learning.
With support from some college staff and local community agriculturalists, the students made over two hundred beds for the planting of cassava stems, as well as the nursing of economic and fruit trees on about three (3) acres of the college land.
The nursing aspect of the initiative will help students learn more about nursing different plant species, be able to identify these different species and their characteristics, being involved in nurturing the plants for yearly tree planting exercises.
Mohamed Alieu Jalloh, a first year Emergency and Disaster Management student, described the project as a complement to the national agricultural agenda.
“The Green Yard Campus Initiative is not only a vital aspect of the college’s vision, but also a complementary effort to the government’s Feed Salone agenda,” Mohamed stated, adding: “as students, we have learnt that Koinadugu College is here to train entrepreneurs and sustainable leaders. So, this initiative is a way of doing our little strides to support government’s action.”
Fatmata Binta Barrie, a first year Public Health student, believes that the project will serve as an inspiration to young people within and beyond the district in terms of job creation and interest in agriculture.
Another Public Health student, Mulk Badiu Marah, shares similar thoughts with Fatmata, stating “we are doing this to be an example to other people, that when you are in college, it’s not just about theory, sometimes there are practical things involved too.”
This initiative is also supported by one of KC’s partners – Feeding Mouth Filling Minds, a nonprofit organization that shares similar values towards education, self-empowerment, and leadership.
Koinadugu College anticipates that this first step of the project will lead to the production of gari by students and staff in the first quarter of 2025.
