Socfin Agricultural Company, the country’s largest commercial oil palm producer as well as the largest director foreign investor in the agricultural sector continues to impressively fulfill its extensive corporate social responsibility as part of empowering all sectors of the community that it operates in, in Sahn Malen chiefdom, Pujehun district.

In one such intervention, SAC has provided a handsome micro credit assistance to 16 women’s group in Sahn Maken Chiefdom under the name of Muloma (let us unite) to the tune of Le2 million each.

Adama Ganda one of the recipients and spokeswoman for the group noted that they formerly belonged to MALOWA, a group that was headed by Member Parliament Hon. Shiaka Sama.

She lamented that they were misled by Hon. Shiaka Sama and others to act rebelliously towards Paramount Chief Kebbie and Socfin.

MULOMA she said stands for unity (oneness). As such, Madam Ganda said they were glad to be reunited with the Paramount Chief and Socfin.

Quarrels she said do not help development, only oneness does. For the benefit of their children, she said they decided to break away from MALOWA who she said did nothing productive for them to form MULOMA and to reunite with the chiefdom administration.

Karmo Brima Lappia, former Chairman of MALOWA disclosed that they were misled and pushed by Hon. Sama to engage in acts of rebellion disobedience against PC Kebbie and destruction of Socfin property.

He admitted being part of the plot to molest the paramount chief and to erect roadblocks which he said caused him to be arrested twice.

Hon. Shiaka Sama he said was not helpful to them. He appealed for unity and oneness among the people of Sahn Malen and to cooperate with PC Kebbie and Socfin for the chiefdom’s continued development.

In another Socfin related development, tractor operator Shiaka Minah and Dauda Jayah from Socfin’s Liaison Office on Food Security have disclosed that the company for four years running has helped secure food security in Sahn Malen by plowing and harrowing hundreds of acres of inland valley swamps and bolis for different communities.

For 2020, Socfin revealed that using three specialized tractors, it
has cultivated 532.98 acres. More acres would have been cultivated but due to the unpredicted early rainfall, the tractors were constrained as they cannot function well on wet soil.

However, due to appeals made by the people, Socfin extended cultivation to four new communities of Sahun Malen, Mornorgor, Ngeimaand Sembehun in order to extend benefit to these previous un-served communities.

Field Officer Shiaka Minah appealed to the people to weed their plots in order to get good yields and for those supplied with seeds to pay back.

Meanwhile, the people appealed that as Socfin has helped them in the drive towards food security, they would also like Socfin to provide them with mini oil presses in order for them to be better able to produce oil from their farms.

In yet another Socfin community related community development activity, Universal Ventures, a subsidiary construction company of Socfin is in the process of constructing a three classroom school building with office and store for the Gbangba community in complementing President Bio’s flagship Free Quality Education drive.

Universal Ventures project manager, Saffa Lansana, said the project which will be completed in two months costs Le250 million. He added that on completion, the company would consider furnishing and paying stipend to teachers for two years.

In a similar gesture, Lansana said last year Universal Ventures provided Le30 million for school materials to help promote education in that part of the country.

Gbangba leaders Chief Amara and Hawa Amara expressed delight at the intervention, noting that it will help their community to move forward.

Meanwhile, Socfin which employs about 3, 600 Sierra Leoneans as it starts processing palm oil for both domestic and international markets has added considerably to GDP as well as exports earnings, with the General Manager positive that within the next five years, Socfin will dramatically transform the socioeconomic condition of Sahn Malen.