A generation of young Sierra Leoneans who are thriving, self-reliant and leading the growth of their communities.
Who we are
Fertile land, and young people ready to work it.
Green Ladder Foundation is a Sierra Leonean non-profit that turns agriculture into a pathway out of poverty for young people. We were founded out of a shared passion for young people and for the land, and a conviction that the two belong together.
In rural communities across Sierra Leone, fertile land sits next to young people who see no future in farming. Many leave for towns where work is scarce. The problem is not the land or the young people. It is the missing steps between them: practical skills, a fair start, a way to add value, and a route to market.
We work with young people, with a deliberate focus on young women, to build agri-enterprises that are climate-smart, market-driven and profitable. We measure everything we do and share the results openly.
Our approach
Four rungs, climbed in order.
Each rung removes one barrier that keeps young people out of farming. Participants start at the bottom and climb.
- Rung 1
Learn
Hands-on training in climate-smart farming on demonstration plots: soil health, composting, water management, improved seed and record keeping.
- Rung 2
Start
Seeds, tools and a group savings scheme, so young people in farmer groups of five can begin producing from their first season.
- Rung 3
Grow
Simple agro-processing and waste-to-value skills that raise what each harvest earns.
- Rung 4
Connect
Links to buyers, cooperatives and finance that keep enterprises growing after the programme ends.
Read from the bottom up: every rung builds on the one below.
To equip young people, especially young women, with the skills, resources and market connections to build profitable, climate-smart agri-enterprises, and to widen their opportunities for decent work, wellbeing and leadership.
Flagship programme
Youth Agri-Enterprise Programme
Our first programme takes young people through all four rungs over twelve months and two production cycles, so groups earn from an early first harvest and apply what they learned in the second.
Tools and equipment stay with the groups, and savings schemes keep money circulating after the programme ends. Results from the pilot will shape a larger second phase.
- Participants
- 45 young people aged 18 to 35, at least half of them young women
- Groups
- 9 farmer groups of 5
- Locations
- Waterloo, Port Loko and Kambia
- Duration
- 12 months, two production cycles
Pilot design. Start date to be announced.
Our values
What you can hold us to.
Youth-led
Young people help design, lead and judge our programmes.
Dignity and respect
Every participant is a capable entrepreneur, not a beneficiary.
Step by step
Practical progress that lasts, one rung at a time.
Inclusion
No young person is left off the ladder because of where they live or their circumstances.
Evidence over assumptions
We measure results honestly and change what does not work.
Integrity and accountability
Every leone is tracked and reported openly.
Partnership
We build on local knowledge with communities, government and partners.
Stewardship of the land
The livelihoods we support protect the soil and water they depend on.
Work with us
Partners, funders and communities: let's talk.
We are looking for partners who want to help young people build a living from the land, from district councils and community leaders to funders and buyers.
Office
3 Point Street, Freetown, Sierra Leone