Sahn Malen, a chiefdom that used to be a moribund place with less economic activity, has now become the hub for job seekers, thanks to Socfin Agricultural Company. Not only do these job seekers come from the Pujehun District itself, they also come from other parts of the country.
Sierra Leoneans employed by the company continue to lavish praises on the agricultural company for its role in transforming their lives.
The establishment of Socfin in Sahn Malen has given much hope to the Government of Sierra Leone that the country’s economy can be diversified and put an end to a dependence on the mining sector, thereby bringing in much needed foreign direct investment.
Before now, little has been said about the potential of the agricultural sector in terms of revenue mobilization for the country as export rate was low. But the involvement of investors like Socfin has helped the government to realize huge revenues from the sector through export duties.
The Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa’s 2018 Budget Statement and Economic and Financial policies for the financial year 2019 in the Well of the Sierra Leone Parliament, on Paragraph 19, states: “The performance of the external sector improved during the first half of 2018. Total value of exports for the period January to June 2018 is estimated at US$518.8million. The sharp increase in exports is accounted for primarily by the export of palm oil by SOCFIN Agricultural Company…”
The Paramount Chief of Sahn Malen Chiefdom, Victor Brima Kebbie and his subjects are wholeheartedly in support of the Company, especially in the manner it has transformed their chiefdom to a works yard.
The agricultural company started a very fruitful relationship with the people of Sahn Malen – from land lease negotiation through the Government, to massive employment of youths and the spending of millions of United State Dollars to establish one of the biggest palm oil plantations in Africa.
But immediately the company started harvesting its plantations and exporting its produce, a misconstruction ensued between the company and the people as they were brainwashed by civil societies into believing that they deserve more than what was being given to them. This led to series of riots and destabilization of the operations of the company to Millions of Dollar as some of the local people were caught red-handed by the police, harvesting the fruits of the company with impunity.
However, some advocates have accused Socfin of land grabbing without doing justice to the agreement between the company and the Government, of which the company through the General Manager, Philip Tonks, is saying there is nothing like land grabbing within their operational areas in Malen.
“There is nothing like land grabbing in Sahn-Malen Chiefdom,” assured Mr Tonks.
The company, out of humanitarian feeling and love for the chiefdom, through the Paramount Chief, gave some of these lands they have already leased from the chiefdom to the villagers for agricultural purposes, burial, social activities and traditional rites. This piece of land, which Public Relations Officer of Socfin Agricultural Company Easmond Moiguah calls the ‘Green-Belt’, is open to all villages in the chiefdom to engage in their normal routine.
According to Moiguah, the company was never a fly-by-night company that was established through the back-door, but a legitimate one that went through the nitty-gritty of the laws of Sierra Leone.
“Any attack on Socfin is a direct attack on the Government and by extension; could have the tendency to undermine the clarion call for investors into the country,” Mr Moiguah said.
The impact of the company in changing the lives of communities around Malen Chiefdom in Pujehun District is huge; Socfin has not only provided thousands of jobs for Sierra Leoneans, but it continues to contribute to the growth of the economy.
Going beyond corporate social responsibility, Socfin continues to invest significant amount of United State Dollars in the following sectors:
Agriculture: In order to support the people of Sahn Malen in agriculture, Socfin has been directly involved in the yearly cultivation of 600 acres of boli-land with floating rice varieties for people within the company’s operation, yearly distribution of 800 bushels of seed rice for inland valley swamp cultivation, distribution of 351 bushels of groundnut seeds to 16 groups of women in Malen Chiefdom.
It has also constructed four fish ponds, one in Kpangba, one in Gboyama, one in Jumbu and one in Senehun, as well as supply 135 bundles of fishing nets with their accessories to four fishing communities: Gangama, Hongai, Massao and Kortumahun in Malen Chiefdom. All of these are part of Socfin’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
Health Sector: Providing medical facility in some parts of the country remains a challenge for the Government. People used to walk far distances from the district to major towns for medical services. Seeing this as a challenge, Socfin Agricultural Company has invested lots of money in the rehabilitation and supply of furniture to Niahun Clinic. The reconstruction and electrification of Sengema Health Quarters, Electrification of Sengema, Taninahun and Bendu Clinics, have all been done single handedly by Socfin.
Supply of Hospital beds to Niahun, Sengema, Taninahun and Bendu Clinics and supply of furniture to Sengema Clinic have also been done by Socfin.
Education: The 30-35 percent literacy rate of Sierra Leone is far below other countries in the sub-region. This is because majority of children in Sierra Leone cannot get access to school within their localities. Changing such a situation requires not only the intervention of Government, but also the private sector. Even before the Proclamation of the Free Quality Education by His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio last year, Socfin had invested enough money in education in the Chiefdom, such as the construction of the new Bendu and Mallay primary schools, Kortumahun primary school, Sinjo primary school, the rehabilitation of Malen Junior secondary school and Kassay primary school. Besides the construction of these schools, the company also provided them with learning materials to facilitate teaching. Also, sanitation facilities were provided by rehabilitating the existing water supply system and the development of modern toilet facilities for these schools.
The company also make payment of stipends to nine teachers who were not on Government payroll and two security personnel in Malen Junior Secondary School, one teacher in RC School in Sahn and one teacher in Bendu Primary School.
The company also make payment of scholarship to 220 students; amounting to Le83, 000,000 (Eighty three Million Leones) for BECE Students with aggregate 25 and below from Malen Junior Secondary School. It also supported transport and feeding to BECE Students taking examination in Pujehun.
The company also provided support for transportation and feeding for NPSE pupils and their teachers in its operational areas who were taking the examination in Sahn, as part of its CSR.
Other supports to education include, the rehabilitation of Malen Junior Staff Quarters, financial support to all schools during the June 16th Day of the African.
Micro Finance: In order to support the growth of small scale/medium enterprise in the chiefdom, Socfin has been providing micro finance to 102 petty traders in 27 communities in Malen Chiefdom with over 200 Million Leones as seed money.
Water and Sanitation: Socfin has provided water-wells with hand pumps and latrines in all its operational areas which have helped reduce the outbreak of cholera in the chiefdom.
Infrastructure: The area of infrastructural development has also been paramount in Socfin`s operation as is seen in the construction of community halls in every village in its area of operation. The construction of football fields in village communities, the rehabilitation of praying fields in village communities, the construction and equipping of the Malen Community Radio Station, worth more than Fifty Thousand United States Dollars, construction of roads, bridges and culverts in all communities in Socfin’s operational areas. The construction of the Central Mosque in Sahn and the rehabilitation of Mosques in villages have all been carried out by the company.
NOTE: This is a supplement
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