LocationsDriving progress towards SDGs 1, 2, 12, and 13.
Young, Bold & Green - Meet the woman farming her way to a better future
August 11, 2025
Mariama Gendemeh harvesting peppers on her farm in Damawo 2, Kenema District
UNDP Sierra Leone/Sama Kai
Across Sierra Leone, a quiet transformation is taking root. A new wave of young agripreneurs is redefining what it means to farm, turning agriculture into a vibrant engine for innovation, job creation, and rural development. They are growing crops, pioneering climate-smart technologies, and empowering smallholder farmers. But while the energy is there, the challenges are real. Many still face significant barriers, especially when it comes to securing the capital and tools needed to expand.
That is where UNDP Sierra Leone and its partners are stepping in creating opportunities for young people to turn bold agricultural ideas into thriving enterprises.
One of those changemakers is Mariama Gendemeh, a 25-year-old student of Entrepreneurship at Eastern Technical University and the founder of Fresh Veggies Agro Company Ltd. Operating across several communities in Kenema District, Mariama is planting more than crops; she is planting hope, resilience, and opportunity.
Her model is as ambitious as it is inclusive. She farms directly but also collaborates with out growers in seven different communities (Kpava, Konabu, Kpalu, Damawo 2 and Konia Ngalea), supplying them with seeds, fertilizers, training, and access to agronomists.
Mariama Gendemeh carrying a basket of harvested fresh corn
UNDP Sierra Leone/Sama Kai
“I wanted to create something that not only sustains me but also sustains others,” Mariama explains. “If farmers know they have a buyer, they invest more effort, and everyone benefits.”
In 2024, Mariama took part in the Youth-Led Green Solutions Innovation Challenge, organized by UNDP and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She pitched a plan to install a solar-powered irrigation system and build two wood-frame greenhouses, tools she believed would allow her to grow vegetables year-round, expand her acreage, and reduce dependence on unpredictable rains.
Mariama Gendemeh at the Youth-Led Green Solutions Innovation Challenge Pitch Day
UNDP Sierra Leone/Desmonda Aminata Cole
Her pitch won her second place, and the funding to make her dream a reality.
“The support from UNDP and EPA enabled me to install the solar-powered irrigation system and construct the greenhouses,” she says. “The impact was immediate. My farm began producing vegetables year-round, and I was able to employ five more women from my community.”
Located in Damawo No. 2, a community of fewer than twenty households, her farm has become a hub of activity. During the dry season, she uses solar irrigation; in the rainy season, she switches to rain-fed farming. She trains local farmers in greenhouse technology, showing them that with just a small plot of land, they can grow more, earn more, and protect the environment.
“You don’t have to cut down trees or worry about climate change,” she explains. “The greenhouse gives you everything, more yield, more profit, and less land.”
Aerial view of Mariama Gendemeh's farm with the green houses in Dawoma 2
UNDP Sierra Leone/Sama Kai
Mariama’s impact goes beyond farming. Through SEND Sierra Leone, she has introduced Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) in her partner communities, giving women a way to save, access small loans, and invest in other businesses. Many of these women are now sending their children to school and contributing to household income, a ripple effect from jobs created on her farm.
“I don’t know where I would be without this opportunity,” she reflects. “But I know where I am now, helping others, creating jobs, and feeding thousands.”
Her vision is still expanding. In addition to vegetables, Mariama now buys rice directly from local farmers, markets it herself, and helps them adopt better farming practices to boost yields. In 2024, Mariama purchased 150 bags of rice (50kg each) from her out-growers.
She also shares her journey on TikTok, vlogging her farming life and inspiring other young people to see agriculture not as a last resort, but as a path to prosperity and purpose.
“I don’t know where I would be without this opportunity,” she reflects. “But I know where I am now, helping others, creating jobs, and feeding thousands.”Mariama Gendemeh , founder of Fresh Veggies Agro Company Ltd
Related
content
content
