GCA Supports Job Creation for Youth and Women in Sierra Leone Through Climate-Smart Agriculture and Waste Management Initiative
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tterdam, the Netherlands, 24 June 2024 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) announced today its technical support for the Job Creation for Youth and Women in Climate Smart Agriculture Value Chains and Waste Management Project (WOKDONCAM) in Sierra Leone, an initiative led by the African Development Bank. WOKDONCAM responds to a request from Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Finance and aligns with the country’s Mid-Term National Development Plan (2019–2023), which highlights human capital development—particularly entrepreneurship and skills enhancement—as key drivers of economic growth and social progress.
WOKDONCAM seeks to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic development by enhancing climate-smart agriculture, value chain infrastructure, and integrated waste management. The project will facilitate collaboration with local financial institutions to design suitable financial products for women- and youth-led enterprises, particularly those in agriculture and waste management. It also provides training in climate adaptation and resilience strategies, ultimately aiming to improve livelihoods by turning waste into income, increase sustainable employment prospects for women and youth in Sierra Leone’s largest economic sector, and contribute to broader climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
With an approved technical assistance budget of €150,000 through the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program, GCA’s contribution will focus on a Labour Market Assessment and Capacity-Building in Climate Adaptation. Through the Labour Market Assessment, GCA will evaluate climate change and adaptation-oriented labor demand as well as enterprise potential in waste management and six priority agricultural value chains (rice, palm oil, cassava, groundnut, vegetables, and livestock). This review will identify critical skills and propose strategies for bolstering climate adaptation businesses, thereby driving adaptation-focused job creation.
Meanwhile, the capacity-building element will provide climate adaptation training to women- and youth-led enterprises across targeted agricultural and waste management value chains. The process includes conducting a needs and skills gap analysis to ensure the training addresses real-time challenges and opportunities.
By reinforcing the project’s core components, GCA’s support is expected to help the African Development Bank and its partners incubate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), offer market-driven capacity-building, and extend targeted financial products. These measures will collectively support Sierra Leone’s goals of mobilizing 500,000 jobs for youth in the next five years under the Big Fives Game Changer initiative.
The project envisions incubation support for 500 SMEs (70% led by women), and training of 1,750 women and youth in cassava and fisheries (70% are women). It also targets incubation support for 200 SMEs in waste management, along with training for 1,000 women and youth in waste management.
