By Alvin Lansana Kargbo

The Government of Sierra Leone, in collaboration with development partners, has officially launched two flagship programmes, the Nutrition-Sensitive Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Programme (NuCAMPS) and the LIFE Project, aimed at tackling hunger, malnutrition, poverty and the adverse effects of climate change across vulnerable communities.

The launch took place at the Brookfields Hotel in Freetown on Thursday 28th August, 2025 and was graced by senior Government officials, development partners and Civil Society representatives. Both programmes are generously funded by the Embassy of Ireland, continuing the country’s strong partnership with Sierra Leone in the fight against food insecurity.

NuCAMPS, led by Action Against Hunger (ACF), will run for 48 months (December 2024 – November 2028) with a budget of €8 million. Implementing partners include the Sierra Leone Meteorological Agency (SLMet), the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Planning and Development Affairs (MoPADA).

Its overarching goal is to build long-term resilience to climate change while improving nutrition outcomes for vulnerable populations.

The LIFE Project (Improving Food and Nutrition Outcomes of Vulnerable Households) is led by Welthungerhilfe (WHH) in collaboration with Concern Worldwide, CUAMM, Restless Development and Safe Capital. With an expected funding of £7 million, of which £2.5 million has already been secured, the project will run from December 2024 to April 2029.

Its goal is to strengthen food security and nutrition through climate resilience, financial inclusion and access to clean energy. Phase one (January 2025 – April 2026) targets 3,600 rural households in 120 communities across Kenema, Pujehun, and Tonkolili districts.

Delivering the keynote, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, emphasized the urgency of addressing Sierra Leone’s vulnerability to climate shocks, malnutrition and limited access to energy.

She praised Ireland for its long-standing support and urged that nutrition be given greater authority under the Government’s “Feed Salone” initiative. “These programmes must be used as a foundation to assert the nutrition sector’s authority and integrate it deliberately across our development goals,” she stressed.

The Minister also underscored the interconnected nature of the initiatives which cut across agriculture, health, WASH, renewable energy, and gender empowerment. “The success of NuCAMPS and LIFE will be measured not just by statistics but by transformed lives and empowered communities,” she added.

Carol Hannon, Head of Development at the Embassy of Ireland, announced that Sierra Leone will soon open an embassy in Dublin, marking a new phase in bilateral relations. She outlined Ireland’s five-year strategy (2024–2028), which focuses on food and nutrition security and aligns with Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (2024–2030).

“Nutrition is both a catalyst and an indicator of human development,” she noted, adding that Ireland’s investments aim to support climate-smart farming, gender transformation and sustainable food systems that will empower rural households.

Emmanuel Octave Bananeza, Country Director of Welthungerhilfe (WHH), said the programmes represent a renewed call to action to confront the realities of hunger and climate change in Sierra Leone. He explained that WHH and its partners are committed to building climate-resilient communities, strengthening food and nutrition security and promoting financial inclusion, particularly for women and youth who are central to community development.

Admire Mukorera, Deputy Country Director of Action Against Hunger, stated that the launch is more than a ceremonial event, describing it as a collective call to action. She stressed that sustainability must remain at the heart of implementation so that communities are not left dependent, but instead are able to own and maintain the systems, skills and solutions established under the programmes.

Brenda Kayuka Muwaga, from UN Nutrition, noted that despite progress in recent years, malnutrition remains a pressing challenge in Sierra Leone. She pointed out that 26 percent of children are stunted and only 4.9 percent meet the minimum acceptable diet. She emphasized that nutrition cannot be seen in isolation but must be addressed across agriculture, health, education and climate action if Sierra Leone is to unlock its full human capital potential.

Mariama Ellie, of the Ministry of Health’s Directorate of Food and Nutrition, said Sierra Leone has made encouraging strides in reducing malnutrition, including a decline in stunting rates, but significant public health concerns still persist. She described the NuCAMPS and LIFE programmes as timely and strategic interventions that will strengthen climate resilience, improve maternal and child nutrition and help address the gaps that remain in the country’s nutrition sector.

Mariama M. Turay, representing the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, emphasized that the initiatives go beyond providing food to communities. She explained that the programmes are about building a more resilient, equitable and food-secure nation by equipping smallholder farmers, women and youth with the knowledge, resources, and opportunities they need to adapt to climate change and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Collectively, the two programmes will operate in 310 communities across six districts: Kenema, Pujehun, Tonkolili, Bo, Moyamba and Falaba. Their comprehensive approach seeks to integrate food security, climate adaptation, health, gender equality and renewable energy in a way that empowers households to withstand shocks.

In closing, Minister Kenyeh Barlay urged all stakeholders, Government, NGOs, Civil Society and communities to ensure the programmes make a tangible difference. “This launch must not be a ceremony but a turning point in building a resilient, nourished and dignified Sierra Leone,” she said.

  https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/ireland-funded-nucamps-and-life-programmes-launched-in-sierra-leone/