Ambassador June Carter Perry on November 20 launched the Promoting Agriculture, Governance, and Environment (PAGE) 4-year, $13 million program funded by the U.S. through USAID. The program aims to harness lessons learned to promote security, governance, and economic development through democracy and institutional reforms.
The United States believes programs that address development issues holistically have better chances for success. Children cannot focus on education if they do not have sustenance; government can not function if the populace is disinterested. Farmers can not thrive if the environment is crumbling.
ACDI-VOCA, the primary implementer of PAGE, will work with a cross-section of Sierra Leonean society and with other USAID partners -- World Vision International (WVI) and the Associates for Rural Development (ARD) -- to link democratic governance, economic growth, and natural resource management, while empowering women and youth and building institutional capacity. PAGE will build upon the highly successful LINKS and LEAD projects in rural Sierra Leone, which were funded by the U.S. in previous years.
While ACDI-VOCA is new to Sierra Leone, they have tremendous experience around the world in promoting community development through local to global linkages. ARD also brings a wealth of experience in natural resource management, introducing and maintaining environmentally sound development practices. Alongside these two new partners, WVI will provide a continuity of knowledge of the Sierra Leonean context as well as informed innovation.
Acting Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Lands Benjamin O. Davies accepted the grant on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone. Also in attendance were the Minister of Gender, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, heads of ACDI-VOCA, ARD, and World Vision and the FAO. Mr Clifford Brown, USAID Mission Director for Guinea and Sierra Leone also addressed the group.